New York state Amazon warehouse employees desire unionization

According to a statement issued by the National Labor Relations Board on Tuesday, workers at an Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) warehouses outside Albany, New York, are attempting to unionize.

The Amazon Labor Union, the same independent organization that orchestrated a historic union victory at another Staten Island warehouse in April, petitioned the federal labor board to hold an election at the warehouse near Albany and represent around 400 workers.

The online giant is accused of prioritizing profit over worker safety and illegally blocking unionization, prompting employees at dozens of Amazon warehouses across the United States to consider union membership.

Amazon spokesperson Paul Flanagan reacted to a request for comment on the warehouse in the Albany area by noting, "Our employees have the option to join a union or not." They always have had. We do not believe unions are the best option for our employees. We are committed to working closely with our team to make Amazon a great place to work."

In the past year, unionization petitions have been filed at multiple Amazon warehouses, including the one in Albany.

The Amazon Labor Union held elections at two Staten Island locations. The first group voted to unionize, whereas the second group did not.

A petition to unionize a tiny New Jersey warehouse was withdrawn.