Photo: Stephanie Keith/Bloomberg via Getty

Christian Smalls, founder of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), second left, and labor organizers celebrate outside the National Labor Relations Board offices in the Brooklyn borough of New York, U.S., on Friday, April 1, 2022.

Amazon employees in Staten Island decided to unionize on Friday, marking the first victory for the company’s warehouse workers at one of its U.S. facilities.

Christian Smalls, a former employee of the giant retailer, first formed the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) after he was fired from the company in March 2020. During the onset of the pandemic, Smalls led a protest over the lack of workers' protections against COVID-19, which cost him his job.

However, the company suggested Smalls did not comply with its safety protocols, claiming he violated the quarantine practice mandated at the time.

Andrea Renault/AFP via Getty

Union organizer Christian Smalls (L) celebrates following the April 1, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York.

As he celebrated the future of the company’s current workers following the win, Smalls said, “I hope that everybody’s paying attention now because a lot of people doubted us,” according to the Associated Press.

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Smalls and his associates believe the results from the election could likely influence the outcome of other union bids organized at other facilities across the country.

Amazon released a statement via its company website after learning about the news of the election.

Union organizer Christian Smalls (L) celebrates with Amazon workers following the April 1, 2022, vote for the unionization of the Amazon Staten Island warehouse in New York.

The efforts to fight for the union had also drawn the attention of the country’s administration.

During Friday’s briefing about the vote, White House press secretaryJen Psakisaid, “The president was glad to see workers ensure their voices are heard with respect to important workplace decisions.”

“[Joe Biden] believes firmly that every worker in every state must have a free and fair choice to join a union and the right to bargain collectively with their employer,” she added.

In late April, other employees at a neighboring facility in Staten Island will also get the chance to vote on whether to join the ALU. The unions' campaigns come amid labor unrest at many corporations, including Starbucks, where several requests from its workers to join Workers United, a national federation affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, have been successful.

source: people.com