Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Federation, participates in an interview at an Amazon distribution center in the Staten Island borough of New York on October 25, 2021, after submitting a “Authorization of Representative” form to Former National Labor Relations Board. in New York.
Craig Ruttle / AP
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Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Labor Federation, participates in an interview at an Amazon distribution center in the Staten Island borough of New York on October 25, 2021, after submitting a “Authorization of Representative” form to Former National Labor Relations Board. in New York.
Craig Ruttle / AP
“He’s not smart, or articulate.”
Those are the words used by a top Amazon attorney to describe former warehouse worker Chris Smalls.
Smalls took the lead a walk at the start of the pandemic in 2020 to protest working conditions at the Staten Island, NY, warehouse where he worked. He got fired same day.
The The memo containing those malicious words was leaked just a few days later. But words will stay with Smalls. They became the powerhouse that helped him lead one of the most successful grassroots unions in recent history.
“When I read that memo, it motivated me to start an organization,” Smalls said, celebrating historic victory by the Amazon Labor Federation on Friday, making the warehouse Amazon’s first union workplace in the US
Friday’s victory will come almost two years from the day he was fired.
At the time, Amazon said Smalls violated quarantine and safety measures. But Smalls said he was fired in retaliation for his aggressive actions. The New York Attorney General followed with a investigate and sue Amazon for the incident and even managed to get Smalls back to work.
Smalls didn’t sit idly by after being fired and founded the Amazon Labor Union shortly after.
Meet at the bus stop, barbecue and sponsor through GoFundMe
Smalls has no union background, nor does it rely on any established labor groups for funding and organizing power.
Instead, he raised funds for the activism through GoFundMe. Smalls and co-founder Derrick Palmer – who is still working at the warehouse – reached out to their colleague.
The bus station used by the workers became their gathering place. They will be waiting there to talk to workers who are going home from work. They’ll have a campfire, with the women, and get people talking. They invite workers to cook.
“We’ve hosted more than 20 barbecues, handouts every week, every day, whether it’s pizza, chicken, pasta,” Smalls said. He even brings home cooked food from his aunt to some gatherings like this one.
Chris Smalls (centre), president of the Amazon Labor Federation, joins supporters as they march and chant at the Amazon distribution center in Staten Island on October 25, 2021.
Craig Ruttle / AP
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Craig Ruttle / AP
Chris Smalls (centre), president of the Amazon Labor Federation, joins supporters as they march and chant at the Amazon distribution center in Staten Island on October 25, 2021.
Craig Ruttle / AP
They talk to workers about fighting for their rights, about the grueling amount of work, the way you stay on your feet, doing repetitive, physically demanding work, for long hours. The interval is too short and too short.
No one expected this petty grassroots campaign to win over the giant company. Indeed, first attempt failed. But Smalls persisted, eventually hitting the 30% threshold needed to hold a vote.
Amazon arrests Smalls for trespassing
Amazon, meanwhile, has spent millions of dollars on labor consultants to fight union campaigns. The company held mandatory meetings with workers in the warehouse, urging them to vote No.
Amazon even had Smalls and several other organizers arrested for trespassing while they were delivering food and ingredients for the union to a warehouse parking lot earlier this year.
Amazon’s argument to workers is that it’s already a great place to work without a union. It offers competitive salaries and generous benefits like health care coverage for full-time employees and full college tuition.
But Smalls’ effort has clearly paid off.
Nearly 5,000 workers voted and the votes to form a union were won by a significant margin – more than 500 votes.
Two years ago, Amazon wanted to belittle the union push, as part of its PR strategy, the company said it would make Smalls “the face of the entire union/organizational movement. “
And that is exactly what happened. Except today, Smalls has become the face of one of the most successful union dynamics in recent history.
And Amazon has suffered an embarrassing setback.
“Amazon doesn’t become Amazon without people,” Smalls said. “And how we make Amazon.”
Editor notes: Amazon is one of the financial backers of NPR and also distributes certain NPR content.
