Amazon workers at a Staten Island warehouse will vote next month on whether to form a union, Christian Smalls, the organization’s president and former employee tweeted Wednesday (Feb 16).
The Amazon Labor Union (ALU) said it has agreed with the eCommerce powerhouse to hold an on-site election from March 25 through March 30. The group of current and former employees has also organized a vote in Bessemer, Alabama.
None of the company’s U.S. Amazon warehouses are unionized. A previous union vote in Alabama was rejected.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said the company is skeptical that a sufficient number of employees signed the petition for the election. But she acknowledged the National Labor Relations Board determined the election will proceed.
“We want our employees to have their voices heard as soon as possible,” Nantel said in a statement. “Our employees have always had a choice of whether or not to join a union, and our focus remains on working directly with our team to make Amazon a great place to work.”
More than 6,100 Amazon employees at an Alabama warehouse took their second vote to unionize on Feb. 4. The NLRB said the votes are due by Friday, March 25.
See also: Amazon Workers in Alabama Prep for Union Bid Vote After Regulator Ordered Second Vote
Since the first Alabama vote, Amazon has boosted wages with an average pay at $18 an hour and started to offer bonuses of up to $3,000. In addition, the company said it has eased the pace at which workers must prepare packages.
Amazon has said its workers don’t need collective bargaining agreements because the company already offers much of what unions demand. But union organizers say a union is key to better working conditions, higher wages, longer breaks and improved medical leave.