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Jan. 27 (UPI) -- The Amazon Labor Union has enough support to hold a vote on unionizing at the Staten Island, N.Y., Amazon warehouse, according to the National Labor Relations Board. NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado confirmed that the union has "reached a sufficient showing of interest" to have an election. The NLRB said a federal hearing is scheduled for Feb. 16 to work out details for the Amazon union election.
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Amazon Labor Union organizer Chris Smalls said the union has collected 2,500 signatures of workers at the warehouse and is excited about holding the vote.
On its website, the union said a group of Staten Island Amazon workers "want to build a grassroots independent union from the ground up."
"The union will be a protection from Amazon's exploitative business practices and wrongful terminations," the Amazon Labor Union said in a statement. "Any worker who is interested in being part of our union should visit the contact page."
Despite the NLRB confirmation, an Amazon spokesperson said the company is skeptical that the union has obtained enough legitimate signatures. Amazon said it's seeking to understand how the signatures were verified.
In 2021, the Teamsters union voted to support unionization efforts for Amazon warehouse workers and drivers. The Teamsters said their Amazon Project will create a special division to fund and assist workers with organizing.
"Amazon presents a massive threat to working-class communities and good jobs in the logistics industry," Randy Korgan, Teamsters national director for Amazon, said in a statement.
The Amazon Labor Union is independent of the Teamsters.
In November, the NLRB authorized a union election at an Alabama Amazon warehouse after the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union lost the initial election in April. RWDSU later alleged illegal interference by Amazon.
The NLRB found that Amazon illegally interfered in that union election and ordered a new election, but did not specify the date.
