On Tuesday, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters shared that the Amazon Labor Union will now affiliate with the more established union, marking a major step for the online retailer’s workers.
In an announcement on Tuesday, Teamsters said that the affiliation decision was approved unanimously by the union’s board. The exact details have not been made clear at this time, but the union is seen as a powerhouse in labor, representing nearly 1.3 million workers in North America.
ALU President Christian Smalls shared a statement on the union’s decision to affiliate, which comes just two years after it formed at Amazon’s JFK8 warehouse in New York City.
“Today is an historical day for labor in America as we now combine forces with one of the most powerful unions to take on Amazon together,” Smalls said on X. “Our message is clear we want a Contract, and we want it Now. We’re putting Amazon on notice that we are coming!”
The workers who formed the ALU were the first Amazon warehouse employees to be represented by a union. While they faced difficulty expanding and a lawsuit over the election of leadership, this move is seen as a positive step.
JFK8 is still the only unionized Amazon warehouse in the country. It is in the middle of negotiating its first labor contract with the online mega-retailer.
Teamsters, which helped negotiate UPS’s new contract last summer, will now back the upstart Amazon union, bringing a greater chance at expansion.
However, Amazon is not expected to roll over as the company has successfully resisted unionization efforts for years.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
In 2022, Amazon spent $14 million on anti-labor consulting, almost three times more than the next closest company, Starbucks, which led the country in 2021.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok