10 • February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Union Matters Staten Island & Alabama Amazon workers make moves By STEPHON JOHNSON Amsterdam News Staff
Island compound filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting a union vote. Amazon workers in the North JFK8 workers collected enough and in the South have seen day- signatures to hold a union vote. A light in the fight to unionize. hearing is set for Feb. 16 to decide A number of Amazon workers how and when a vote will take ( JFK8) on the company’s Staten place.
February: A month to grow Gregory Floyd
February has been described as the border between winter and spring. To former Major League Baseball player and manager, Whitey Herzog, the month of February had even greater importance. As Herzog put it: “You sweat the free agent thing in November, then you make the trades in December, then you struggle to sign the guys left in January, and in February, I get down to sewing all the new numbers on the uniforms.” The takeaway is that, although February is the month with the fewest days, it’s not short on significant days…days of fun and folly, and days of remembrance, reflection, and religious observance. February is also the month where we look to a groundhog to forecast our future…which recently turned out to be a most dangerous job for at least one groundhog who was dropped on his big day and is now a deceased weather prognosticator. February has many other special days, leaning more to lighthearted observances such as Eat Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, Bubble Gum Day, and Margarita Day. Then there’s Super Bowl Sunday, a national, all-inclusive “holiday” of sorts celebrated from coast to coast and where the commercials and halftime are sometimes talked about as much as the main event. From Oscar night to Valentine’s Day, to Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday, to two presidents’ birthdays celebrated in one day, to a two-week celebration of the Lunar New Year, to two weeks of Winter Olympics, to the once in four years, add-a-day to the month, Leap Year, February has more than 30 different days on which someone, somewhere in our nation, observes a special occasion. Then there’s February, Black History Month. It’s a time to celebrate and educate. It’s a time to acknowledge the accomplishments, delight in a rich heritage and retell the history of a people too often forgotten, mistreated, and misunderstood. The originators of the idea for a Black history celebration were historians Dr. Carter Godwin Woodson, and his associate, Jesse E. Moorland. They created the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History in
(Photo courtesy of Amazon Labor Union’s webpage)
President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
1915, to promote Black history and recognize achievements of African Americans. But they knew that was not enough. As Woodson argued, “If a race has no history, it has no worthwhile tradition; it is a negligible factor in the thoughts of the world and stands in danger of being exterminated.” So, in 1926, they launched “Negro History Week,” on the second week of February, because both President Abraham Lincoln’s and abolitionist Frederick Douglass’ birthdays coincided. But it took 50 years for the week to become a month; President Gerald Ford created Black History Month in 1976. Today, Black History Month is not without controversy. To some critics, the argument goes that empowerment is not accomplished by one month of recognition. Some find it outdated, only symbolic, not necessary, and even separatist. For me, there is no controversy. Black History Month is not about validation, it’s about involvement; it’s about action. It’s both a time of recognition and a call to duty. In labor unions, there’s an important organizing principle used to increase our numbers, demonstrate power and harvest our next generation of unionists— which is applicable here. Especially in order to grow a cadre of potential leaders who will take us to the next plateau, we must inspire and excite young people. We must also remember and thank those who have led the way with words and actions that changed history. Surely, there is tremendous wisdom in the words of Winston Churchill, who said: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” The celebration of February as Black History Month should not be about avoiding mistakes, but instead, about creating more accomplishments, breaking more barriers, and earning the respect of all people. Traditionally, February is the month for acknowledging “The Best” in many categories, so, let’s use the occasion to honor our own list of “Best in Class” and work to add more names to it. For sure, the list is already long with many giants and “firsts” among them including Dr. King, President Obama, and (hopefully) the next justice of the Supreme Court. But Black History Month—which remembers the past, celebrates the present and looks to the future—should also be a time that helps to motivate our next generation of champions in the struggle for equality and dignity. The list is never too long.
This comes a week after the [and] people in Staten Island, and NLRB approved of a previous people in Europe and elsewhere Staten Island warehouse’s ability in the world are all complaining to hold a union vote. about the same sorts of things,” Responding to a VICE reporter said Appelbaum at the time. “And on Twitter the union said: “This that’s why there is high turnover is an amazing moment in histo- at ever y Amazon warehouse.” r y, seeing Amazon workers finalAppelbaum was speaking about ly taking the brave steps to make Amazon workers at a fulfillment their voices heard.” center in Alabama that will get According to the NLRB, the pe- a second crack at a vote with the tition met all of the require- NLRB having sent out ballots ments needed to organize a vote. last Friday. This comes after the NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado agency said that the retail giant stated, “When the union files an had interfered in the outcome of election petition with an NLRB regional office, they have to submit a ‘showing of interest’ of signed union cards from at least 30% of the petitionedfor bargaining unit. The regional office then counts the cards to make sure the union has met the showing of interest requirement.” She then directed the AmNews to the Amazon workers on Staten Island and in Alabama have NLRB’s website hope that elections will bring organization. explaining the election process. the previous election. Appelbaum Amazon took a different ap- said election results could have proach in their response. been available now if it weren’t While they didn’t respond to the for several maneuvers. AmNews’ requests, in a statement “Amazon’s misconduct during sent to The Verge, an Amazon the first union election so taintspokesperson said they were ed the outcome that the NLRB “seeking to understand how these overturned the results and disignatures were verified. Our em- rected a second election for ployees have always had a choice workers in Bessemer, Alabama,” of whether or not to join a union, stated Appelbaum in Januar y. and as we saw just a few months “We are deeply concerned that ago, the vast majority of our team the decision fails to adequatein Staten Island did not support ly prevent Amazon from continuthe ALU.” ing its objectionable behavior in Last November, Amazon work- a new election. We proposed to ers on Staten Island withdrew their the NLRB a number of remedies petition to unionize less than a few that could have made the process weeks before a hearing that would fairer to workers, which were not prove how many workers wanted taken up in the Notice of Election to vote. It was, allegedly, canceled issued today. because they didn’t make it to the “Workers’ voices can and must 30% threshold. be heard fairly, unencumbered Retail, Wholesale and Depart- by Amazon’s limitless power to ment Store Union head Stuart Ap- control what must be a fair and pelbaum said that Staten Island free election, and we will continneeded to look South for inspira- ue to hold them accountable for tion. their actions.” “People all over the world, The election runs through people like in Bessemer, Alabama March 25.
