Amazon workers in Upstate NY begin voting on whether to unionize

An Amazon facility in Upstate New York could become the company's second warehouse to unionize after a facility in Staten Island.

On Wednesday, workers at the warehouse known as ALB1, located in the village of Castleton-on-Hudson, near Albany, began voting on whether to join the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) which is fighting, in part, for a minimum wage of $30 an hour and longer breaks. 

The voting is slated to last through Monday with the vote count set for Oct. 18, according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). To even qualify for a union election, the NLRB requires signatures from 30% of eligible voters at a specific facility.   

Amazon spokesperson Paul Flaningan told FOX Business the world's largest online retailer has approximately 800 employees at the location. But in the filing, the Amazon Labor Union, the nascent union backing the workers, said there would be roughly 400 employees in the bargaining unit. 

"We've always said that we want our employees to have their voices heard, and we hope and expect this process allows for that," Flaningan told FOX Business in a statement. 

Representatives for the Amazon Labor Union did not immediately respond to FOX Business' request for comment.

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The ALU, despite attempts to unionize a few warehouses, has so far only nabbed a win at one of its warehouses in Staten Island, New York, back in April. 

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, or RWDSU, took on Amazon in 2021 during an election at a facility in Bessemer, Alabama. Those results, however, are still being contested.

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A labor victory in Upstate, New York could revive enthusiasm that began to flail following the group’s May loss at a second warehouse on Staten Island in and reports that it halted organizing at two other nearby facilities.

This time around organizers, led by warehouse worker and a former insurance agent Heather Goodall, decided to pursue a more grassroots approach and align with the ALU, based on a belief the group understood the company better than other established unions. 

This petition comes amid increased scrutiny into Amazon across the country. On Tuesday, Amazon workers staged walkouts at four of the e-commerce giant's warehouses in Georgia and Illinois as it launched its second Prime Day of the year. 

Some workers were demanding a pay boost of at least $24 per hour and better working conditions. 

Amazon says average pay for the company's front-line workers is more than $19 per hour, with employees earning between $16 and $26 per hour depending on their position and location.

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The Associated Press and FOX Business' Breck Dumas contributed to this report.