Amazon has come out on top in a unionization vote at a New York facility a month after losing in a historic union election just across the street.
Workers at a Staten Island sorting center known as LDJ5 rejected an effort to unionize with the upstart Amazon Labor Union. In a vote count by the National Labor Relations Board on Monday, 62% of workers voted against unionizing, and 38% voted for it. In gross numbers, 618 workers voted against unionizing, and 380 voted for it.
Turnout in the election was roughly 61% of eligible workers, as the facility employs roughly 1,600 people.
Workers at the sorting center cast their ballots from April 25 to 29. Their election came just weeks after a historic vote in which a company warehouse just across the street, called JFK8, became the first Amazon warehouse in the US to unionize. At that facility, 2,654 workers voted to unionize, with 2,131 workers opposed.
The LDJ5 sorting center was widely expected to win its union vote following the Amazon Labor Union's success at the neighboring JFK8 warehouse.
"The organizing will continue at this facility and beyond. The fight has just begun," the union said in a tweet on its official account shortly after the count concluded.
Chris Smalls, president of the union, shared similar sentiments after the results came in.
"Despite today's outcome I'm proud of the worker/organizers of LDJ5," Smalls said in a tweet after the final tally. "They had a tougher challenge after our victory at JFK8. Our leads should be extremely proud to have given their coworkers a right to join a Union. @amazonlabor will continue to organize and so should all of you."
"Nothing changes, we organize! Do not be discouraged or sad, be upset and talk to your coworkers," he added in a separate tweet.
In a statement, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said the company is "glad that our team at LDJ5 were able to have their voices heard."
"We look forward to continuing to work directly together as we strive to make every day better for our employees," Nantel said.
