Amazon union votes to join forces with Teamsters union | Wilnesh News

member Amazon The union, the first group of company workers to organize in U.S. warehouses, has voted to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the group said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The groups said about 98 percent of ALU members voted in favor of joining the Teamsters. The ALU and Teamsters announced earlier this month that they were taking steps to join the coalition, saying the final step would be a vote by ALU rank-and-file members to approve the move.

The news could force Amazon to negotiate with the New York-based ALU, which is still trying to negotiate with the company.

“With hard work, courage and belief, the Teamsters and ALU will fight fearlessly to ensure Amazon workers get what they deserve under their union contract,” said Teamsters General Manager Sean O’Brien. Good working and safe working conditions.

ALU came to national attention two years ago after a historic win at an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, known as the JFK8 warehouse. The organization was founded by current and former JFK8 employees and began as a grassroots, independent labor organization.

But the group has been having trouble negotiating a contract with Amazon, which is trying to throw out the 2022 election results. A rift also developed between some members and ALU President Chris Smalls. The ALU is expected to hold elections this summer to determine the union’s next leadership.

The Teamsters union, one of the largest unions in the United States, has long worked to organize Amazon delivery and warehouse workers. The union formed an Amazon unit in 2021 to support and fund unionization efforts among the company’s workers.

As part of the agreement announced Tuesday, a newly formed local chapter, ALU-International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 1, will also have the authority to organize Amazon warehouse workers in “the five boroughs of New York,” the groups said in a joint statement. .