The union is fighting for “better pay, better benefits, and better working conditions.” The mismanagement of health and safety has especially been top of mind because employees have repeatedly been made to work as fires broke out. In mid-November, a disgruntled employee at JFK8 attacked co-workers with fire extinguisher fumes for an hour before they could leave—and that too just a minute before their shift ended.

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Is Amazon anti-union?

Before the Staten Island vote, Amazon apparently interrogated and surveilled workers, complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) show.

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After JFK8, two votes to unionize—one at another fulfillment center in Staten Island and another in Albany—failed. Union workers argue that many voted negatively because of intimidation tactics by Amazon, including calling the cops on union leaders, putting up anti-union messaging, and threatening termination for those who participate.

One more thing: Amazon’s sales keep soaring

Undeterred by rising inflation on the outside and mounting agitation on the inside, Amazon recorded its best-ever Thanksgiving sales. In the five days between Thursday’s Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday’s online sales extravaganza—Amazon generated more than $1 billion in sales for small businesses alone.

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