A famous victory for the tech giant’s employees in Staten Island can be a catalyst for change
Amazon, notoriously, does not like trade unions very much. In 2021, America’s wealthiest corporation spent around $4.3m (£3.3m) hiring consultants to help keep them out of its warehouses. For years, the tech giant has waged scandalous campaigns across the US to discourage its million-strong workforce from seeking formal representation. At mandatory “captive audience” meetings, employees have been required to listen to anti-union lectures from their managers – and draw the right conclusions. Perceived troublemakers have allegedly been harassed and dismissed. And until this month, the bullying strategy had a 100% success rate.
All of which makes the pioneering establishment of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) in New York a minor miracle, as well as a landmark moment. Defying the usual playbook of scare tactics and dirty tricks – and a lavishly funded “vote no” campaign – Staten Island warehouse workers voted on 1 April to form the first Amazon union outside Europe. A second New York warehouse will stage a similar vote later this month, and staff at more than 50 other Amazon sites have contacted the Staten Island organisers for advice and support. “The revolution is here!” one ALU coordinator told the Guardian at the weekend.
