Blow to Amazon union drive as New York workers reject latest bid
The movement to unionize Amazon workers suffered another setback on Tuesday after workers at an upstate New York warehouse overwhelmingly rejected a union bid.
Warehouse workers near Albany cast 406 votes – or about 66% – against the Amazon Labor Union, giving the company enough support to push back the fledgling group composed of former and current Amazon workers.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, 206 workers – or 33.6% – voted in favor of joining the union. The agency said 918 employees were eligible to vote, and the 31 ballots that were challenged by either Amazon or the union were not enough to sway the outcome.
The facility known as ALB1 is located in the town of Schodack, near one of the most unionized metro areas in the country, according to Unionstats.com. It’s what’s known as a non-sort center, a warehouse where employees pack more bulky items such as rugs, patio furniture or outdoor equipment.
Experts had noted a win there would have given the union more leverage in its quest to negotiate a contract with Amazon and a chance to demonstrate its prior win at a facility on Staten Island, New York wasn’t a one-off. For now, those hopes seem to be dashed.
This was the fourth union election at an Amazon warehouse this year, and the third one led by the Amazon Labor Union. Following their unexpected win in April in Staten Island, the group was stung by a loss shortly thereafter at another, smaller facility nearby. A union election in Alabama, led by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union at a warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, remains too close to call.
Many believed organizing the second Staten Island facility would be more challenging due to the larger share of part-time workers, who might have other
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