Amazon Union Joins Largest U.S. Union

The independent labor union representing Amazon workers — which won a historic victory at an Amazon warehouse in New York in 2022 — is moving to formally affiliate with the Teamsters, an alliance that could help revive the struggling organization.

Pending ratification, Tuesday’s announcement means members of the Amazon Labor Union will become part of the Teamsters organization, a development in the union’s ongoing effort to organize at Amazon, the country’s second-largest private employer.

More than two years after ALU’s victory, Amazon has not recognized the labor union at its Staten Island warehouse and continues to appeal the result of the election there in a legal process that could draw out for years. ALU leaders say they are frustrated that federal labor regulators have not ordered Amazon to begin negotiating with the union.

[washingtonpostuniverse]

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.

[OurLordandSaviorSigmar]

Why the hell would Amazon be given the choice to recognize or not recognize a union? It should be the law and the government that says so.

[azuraq]

I worked at an Amazon facility in Brooklyn for a while & it’s crazy how much they branded the facility to look like a union while not actually being unionized whatsoever

[melissawalsh]

My grandma was a Teamster and was able to support herself and her youngest children on a Teamster's wage after my grandpa died fairly young. This was back in the '70s when there wasn't much hope for uneducated women and mothers to support themselves. Teamsters are amazing!

[bugzy]

you guys should do a video briefly explaining exactly what a union is and how it works. i’m not sure most people understand unions. if people were more educated on what exactly they are and how they work they would probably have more success at unionization

[Estranged]

Fun fact: The Teamsters are currently backing the NYSNA (New York State Nurse's Association), who are currently in contract negotiations in one hospital, and that hospital in particular (which will remain nameless because I don't want to doxx myself, or cause harm to the hospital) has been caught lackin' when it comes to safe staffing, wages, and benefits.

[KellyDVance]

I love that the Teamsters (and unions as a whole) are getting the respect that they deserve. I remember hearing in the 1980s through the early 2010s how unions were corrupt and bad for employees. I couldn't understand it because my grandpa was a Teamster and I grew up on stories of how they helped my grandparents keep their home when grandpa lost his job. My husband's dad was also union until he became management, but still stood with the union. Unions helped bring about the middle class and should be supported.

[EMS_]

Wheres the board? I heard it was expensed

[DavidTanisDreams]

Teamsters for the win! Amazon must pay!

[peglegkangaroo]

respect for talking about your parent company

[iestyn]

fingers in your ears, palms on your eyes. the true corporate way

[AliasA]

I don't understand how that works. The point of a union is that the company cannot ignore it. If Amazon can ignore it, it is not a union by any meaningful definition?

[KJH]

I worked for Amazon last year. It seemed like every other week someone was getting seriously hurt. People don't realize how dangerous some of those warehouse jobs are.

[tay-lore]

If anything can beat amazon into being ethical, it's the teamsters!!!

[SleepyFen]

As someone living in a country whose high living standards are entirely owed to the strong unions here, it's always sickening to see billion-dollar corporations with billion-dollar CEOs demonizing unions and spinning the tale that unions only steal workers' salaries, all while those same CEOs only pay the majority of their workers <10 $ an hour.

[JBMuffinman]

As a AFL-CIO field rep, startup unions sounds great. Lower dues and direct communication to leadership... But there's a reason the old guard is still here. Unions like the IAM, IBT, usw, uaw, and CWA have immense experience dealing with the laws and politics of labor.
Joining a union is great, joining a good union is better.

[ChahtaAnumpa]

Bros photo was diamond encrusted glasses. I think the mishandling of funds may be true there bud haha

[Trikean]

Sigh, if only we were a democracy for the people. But alas, fighting for fair wages and working conditions is just too much. Even illegal in some circumstances.

[sciencebunny]

As a former Amazon corporate employee, I think they need to do this in order to really force a bad employer like Amazon to come to agreements. Amazon is used to the benefits of no labor unions to get in the way of their poor working conditions. Teamsters can organize a strike overall large service area for a week and that will bring Amazon to their knees

[sirripsalot]

Yep the last thing bosses want is for workers to organize together