The Amazon Labor Union (ALU), the independent union of Amazon workers who won a union election at the JFK8 facility in Staten Island, New York in the Spring of 2022, have had their election victory upheld by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the highest labour tribunal in the United States.
The election saw the ALU win by a total of 2,654 votes to 2,131, out of a total of 8,000 workers at the massive Amazon facility. Amazon immediately filed an objection to the vote, citing unfair treatment from the NLRB regional directors, and alleged intimidation of workers to vote for the ALU, amongst other procedural issues. An NLRB hearing officer recommended overruling the objections in August, to which Amazon filed exceptions.
On January 11th, the NLRB Region 28 regional director overruled Amazon’s objections and certified the ALU as the official bargaining representative of workers at JFK8.
This is an important win, not only because the ALU officially becomes the first officially recognized bargaining representative at an Amazon facility in North America, but because it shows how union determination and commitment are the key to beating employer intimidation and stalling tactics.