NEW YORK - Amazon workers on Staten Island, voted to unionize on Friday, marking the first successful U.S. organizing effort in the retail giant’s history and handing an unexpected win to a nascent group that fueled the union drive.Warehouse workers cast 2,654 votes in favor of a union, giving the fledgling Amazon Labor Union enough support to pull off a victory.
According to the National Labor Relations Board, which is overseeing the process, 2,131 workers rejected the union bid.The 67 ballots that were challenged by either Amazon or the ALU were not enough to sway the outcome.
About 57% of the more than 8,300 workers on the voter list cast their ballots.Federal labor officials said the results of the count won’t be verified until they process any objections that both parties may file.
Any objections are due by April 8.The victory was an uphill battle for the independent group, made up of former and current workers who lacked official backing from an established union and were out-gunned by the deep-pocketed retail giant.