When Amazon workers in Bessemer, Alabama made a historic drive to unionize, the company employed aggressive tactics, ultimately defeating the efforts. Although unsuccessful, the attention has galvanized workers across the country to walkout in protest of the company's sick leave policies and safety measures. The connection between racial justice and workers’ rights cannot be understated as the fight continues in Alabama and across the US. Nationwide, Black workers make up about 1 in 9 workers overall, but represent about 1 in 6 front-line industry workers. In Bessemer, the union estimates that roughly 85 percent of the warehouse’s workforce is Black.
Locally, workers across warehouses and facilities in Staten Island are trying to unionize, led by the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), an independent, worker-led group, and The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a labor-activism group founded by former Amazon worker Chris Smalls, who was fired last March after organizing protests against working conditions. Following Smalls’ class action lawsuit and broader criticism of the company’s COVID-19 response, New York Attorney General Letitia James filed a lawsuit in February and sent a letter in late April, stating that Amazon may have violated federal safety standards and broken state whistleblower laws in the firing of Smalls. After the organizing started last month, Amazon began anti-union campaigning in the New York facilities with warehouse TV and other messaging.
As economic inequality continues to rise, this year could be important for labor unions. Though union membership is at a historic low, workers in Bessemer, Staten Island, and beyond have come together to seek better protections. In March, the House also passed the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), the first worker-friendly labor law reform since 1935, which expands workers’ ability to join and organize unions. And just last week, NY state lawmakers recently signed the HERO, or New York Health and Essential Rights Act, to provide additional protections for works. While these are all valuable beginnings, we know that legal protection doesn’t always mean on-the-ground protection. Unions empower workers to ensure their employers actually abide by employment laws.
Today and into the future, we need to think about where we put our money and find alternatives to big corporations. We can learn about the labor movement and make sure workers are protected by federal and local labor laws. We can lobby for politicians to increase worker protections and support those who will prioritize workers’ rights and safety in the upcoming local New York elections. As always, see below for more ways to plug in and show up.
In solidarity,
SURJ NYC