Amazon Labor Union JFK8 Vote

The JFK8 vote showed that large fulfillment centers can be organized, and labor relations now sit alongside automation and wages in warehouse planning. Workers at the Staten Island building voted in April 2022 to join the independent Amazon Labor Union, led by former employee Chris Smalls, a first for Amazon in the United States. Amazon contested the result before the National Labor Relations Board. In June 2024, ALU members voted 829 to 14 to affiliate with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. For operators, the episode is a reminder that pace, safety, and scheduling practices are central to retaining staff, especially around peak season.

• Fulfillment CenterFCWarehouse built for small customer orders
• Units per HourUPHUnits handled in one labor hour
• Labor Management SystemLMSSoftware that tracks warehouse labor

• 1997 UPS Teamsters Strike1997 · 185,000 UPS workers walk out for 15 days
• COVID-19 E-Commerce Surge2020 · US online sales jump 32 percent as stores close

• National Labor Relations Act (NLRA)1935 · Federal law protecting private-sector union rights
• California AB 701 Warehouse Quota Law2021 · Limits and disclosure for warehouse productivity quotas

1. Amazon Labor Union agrees to affiliate with Teamsters (Globe and Mail) theglobeandmail.com
2. Amazon workers affiliate with the Teamsters (Labor Notes) labornotes.org