Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Albany Amazon warehouse workers file for union election
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Aug 17, 2022
Modified Aug 17, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Catalina Gonella/Gothamist
By
Gwynne Hogan
Published Aug 17, 2022
Modified Aug 17, 2022
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center just outside of Albany filed petitions requesting a union election, the National Labor Relations Board confirmed this week.
The Amazon Labor Union, the group of former and current employees that formed Amazon’s first union at a warehouse on Staten Island, filed to represent roughly 400 workers at the facility in Schodack, according to Kayla Blado, a spokesperson for the NLRB.
The NLRB will tally up the union cards in the coming days to verify the union surpassed the 30 percent threshold required to hold an official vote, Blado said.
“We are incredibly excited and proud,” said Cassio Mendoza, a spokesperson for the ALU, in a statement. The group planned to address the public outside the NLRB offices in Albany on Wednesday afternoon.
Paul Flaningan, an Amazon spokesperson, said employees have a choice on whether or not to join a union. Flaningan said 1,000 people work at the facility and it wasn’t immediately clear what accounted for the discrepancy with the union tally.
“As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees,” he said. “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”
The request for a union election in Schodack follows two union drives on Staten Island propelled by the ALU. At the first warehouse, known as JFK8, workers made history in April when they voted to join the ALU. A subsequent vote at a warehouse across the street came up short.
Union organizers have campaigned for higher pay, longer breaks, and safer working conditions. But the company has spent millions of dollars on dissuading workers from joining them. The tactics have been challenged by the ALU’s attorneys dozens of times before the NLRB.
The Schodack workers’ request for a union vote comes amid a frenzy of organizing at companies such as Starbucks and Apple that have long resisted unions. According to the NLRB data, requests for union elections were up 58 percent during the first three quarters of fiscal year 2022, nationwide.
Amazon is challenging the union's first victory before the NLRB — arguing the ALU and the labor relations board itself unfairly interfered — and asking an administrative judge to overturn the results. After several weeks of testimony that began in mid-June, the judge is still deliberating on whether to uphold the vote.
Meanwhile, last month, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and federal prosecutors in the Southern District of New York announced a probe into workplace safety and on-the-job injuries in Amazon warehouses, which some studies suggest occur at higher rates than at other companies. In recent weeks, OSHA was reportedly investigating three worker deaths at company warehouses in New Jersey.
Tagged
labor
national labor relations board
osha
union
amazon
Gwynne Hogan
Gwynne Hogan is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Early Addition: NYC comptroller backs off investing city pension funds in Israel bonds
Because Mark Levine pledged to make the investment during his campaign, here are your early links: A mini T-Rex skeleton on display at Sotheby's, New Yorkers love a fancy bird, excellent chalupas in Corona and more.
By
James Ramsay
Published Oct 15, 2026 at 8:34 a.m. ET
NYPD investigating after 5-year-old Queens girl found dead
Police responded to a call from her mother after an assault.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
News
NYPD investigating after 5-year-old Queens girl found dead
Police responded to a call from her mother after an assault.
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Hochul, Blakeman offer opposing visions for jobs to stem New York exodus
By
Jimmy Vielkind
Hannah-Jones, NYC schools chancellor set to speak at high-stakes integration town hall
By
Jessica Gould
Queens man found dead, police say, and injured woman is his mother, neighbors say
By
Charles Lane
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .