Amazon union workers and Teamsters have signed an agreement

Members of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) have voted to join with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in a move they hope will breathe new life into a years-long struggle to secure a union contract for Amazon warehouse workers.

This means that a new ALU-International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT) Local 1 will represent the approximately 5,500 Amazon warehouse workers at JFK8. If any other Amazon warehouses in New York City vote to form a union, Local 1 will have jurisdiction for their workers as well.

“On behalf of the Amazon Labor Union, I am proud of our members for choosing to win. We are stronger now than ever,” ALU President Chris Smalls said in a press release. “Having the support of 1.3 million Teamsters to challenge Amazon gives us tremendous worker power and the opportunity to demand better conditions for our members and, most importantly, win a contract at JFK8.”

Amazon workers at KCVG in Kentucky, the company's largest U.S. air cargo hub, also voted to join the Teamsters earlier this month. But so far, JFK8 is still the only Amazon warehouse to have successfully voted to form a union.

“The Teamsters have set the standard in this industry with our agreement to protect the 340,000 UPS warehouse workers and drivers. You can rest assured we will hold Amazon to these same standards, not the other way around,” Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien said in the press release.