Amazon's New York Union votes overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying Teamsters deal

By Ciara Linnane

Amazon workers vote 98.3% in favor of deal with Teamsters

Amazon Labor Union members have voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying their affiliation with The International Brotherhood of Teamsters in a 98.3% vote, the Teamsters said on Tuesday.

The Amazon Labor Union represents the roughly 5,500 Amazon (AMZN) warehouse workers at the JFK8 facility in Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City.

The newly chartered ALU-International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1 will have jurisdiction over all five of New York City's boroughs, which also includes Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

"Having the support of 1.3 million Teamsters to take on Amazon gives us tremendous worker power and the opportunities to demand better conditions for our members and, most importantly, to secure a contract at JFK8," said ALU President Chris Smalls in prepared remarks.

"Workers at Amazon-in the warehouses or behind the wheel-have proven they have the strength, unity, and determination to take on the greediest employer on the planet, and win," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien.

The relationship between Amazon and union labor has been contentious.

In January 2023, a U.S. Labor representative dismissed Amazon's objections to the union's election victory at JFK8.

And a month ago, a federal judge ruled that certain anti-union comments by Amazon Chief Executive Andy Jassy violated labor laws.

"Workers at JFK8 were united, prevailing against an intense union-busting campaign by Amazon that included the company flooding its warehouses with managers pressuring workers to vote no, threatening workers for overseeing ballot boxes, and repeatedly calling the police when workers were being informed of their rights, the Teamsters said on Tuesday.

Amazon's stock, meanwhile, was slightly lower premarket but has gained 21% to outperform the S&P 500's SPX 14.8% gain.

-Ciara Linnane

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06-18-24 0631ET

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