First US Amazon workers' union formed
The online retailer had fended off previous attempts by American workers to unionize
Ibrahim Al-TarikOctober 1, 2026
Workers at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, have voted to organize, becoming the first US facility in the e-commerce giant's 28-year history to do so. The base union Amazon Labor Union (ALU) won the vote by 2,654 votes to 2,131. Voter turnout was 58 percent.
"We worked, had fun and made history," tweeted ALU President Christian Smalls, who punched the air during the count, which was broadcast via Zoom. "Welcome to the first union in America for Amazon." The overwhelming decision by workers at the Staten Island warehouse, known as JFK8, is set to shake up both the labor movement in the US and Amazon, America's second largest employer after Walmart.
To date, Amazon has managed to fend off any attempts by workers in its home country to organize, often using controversial methods such as mandatory meetings during working hours ("captive audience"). The company said it was "disappointed with the outcome '...because we believe a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees'. It said it was considering whether to appeal.
Following the outcome Amazon also accused the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the government agency responsible for administering the vote, of exercising "undue and improper influence" during the campaign, with
the US Chamber of Commerce and the National Retail Federation joining the protests of Amazon and said workers may have been influenced by a petition the NLRB filed ahead of the vote to fire a worker at the Staten Island warehouse. The NLRB responded, "All NLRB enforcement actions against Amazon were consistent with the mandate of Congress."
Workers' rights advocates see Amazon as a prime target for organizing efforts at a time when support for unions is growing among Americans, according to Pew studies.
"Winning the election is a first step, and getting the first contract will be another big fight," said Ken Jacobs of the University of California, Berkeley's Center for Labor Research and Education. "But I would expect that after a win at JFK8, Amazon workers would be much more interested in organizing across the country."
Another facility, LDJ5, also on Staten Island, is scheduled to hold a vote on April 25 to organize within the ALU.
US President Joe Biden "was pleased to see that workers made their voices heard on important workplace decisions," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Friday. "He firmly believes that every worker in every state must have a free and fair choice to join a union and the right to collectively bargain with their employer."
Separately, organized labor's push faces yet another defeat in a repeat Amazon union vote at the BHM1 plant in Bessemer, Alabama. When the tally was completed on Thursday, the "No" vote was leading by 993 to 875.
About 416 contested ballots have yet to be reviewed, which could affect the outcome. A hearing to initiate this process will take place in the coming weeks, the NLRB said.
The race was far closer than the first BHM1 workers' vote last year, in which Amazon won decisively by 1,798 votes to 738. Union officials ordered a rerun of the vote because the e-commerce giant's campaign was seen as improper interference.
Amazon's workforce has grown rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic - the company now employs more than 1.6 million people worldwide. However, the company's practices have come under intense scrutiny, particularly in relation to work pace and other conditions.
Three Democratic members of the House Oversight Committee wrote to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy on Thursday, demanding documentation about the company's security practices, particularly related to severe weather events. In December, six Amazon employees were killed when a tornado devastated an Illinois facility.
The victorious Staten Island workers have said they will negotiate a deal for higher wages, more assistance for injured workers and better transportation. ALU's victory comes on the same day that Jassy's $212 million salary package was announced in an official report.
The union's victory could hamper Amazon's ability to exercise strict controls and closely monitor its workers' productivity, which is often credited as the basis for its fast delivery times.
The ALU, which has no support from any major union groups, emerged after riots over Amazon's treatment of workers in the early days of the pandemic.
Smalls, the ALU chairman, was fired by the company in March 2020 for "violating social distancing guidelines and endangering the safety of others," according to the company.
According to a memo obtained by Vice News, David Zapolsky, Amazon's general counsel, wrote that Smalls was "not smart or articulate" and could be made "the face of the entire union/organizational movement."
Smalls' sacking was spearheaded by Tim Bray, a former senior software engineer at the company, when he quit in protest at the treatment of whistleblowers in the early days of the Covid-19 crisis.
"History and the law will judge Amazon's behavior in 2020," Bray said Thursday. "I'm optimistic that we're entering an era where big companies in general, and big tech in particular, must recognize the agency and humanity of the hundreds of thousands of people they employ."
Amazon shares were little moved after Friday's results.
