Union Matters

Staten Island & Alabama Amazon workers make moves

By STEPHON JOHNSON

Amsterdam News Staff

Amazon workers in the North and in the South have seen daylight in the fight to unionize.

A number of Amazon workers (JFK8) on the company’s Staten Island compound filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting a union vote. JFK8 workers collected enough signatures to hold a union vote. A hearing is set for Feb. 16 to decide how and when a vote will take place.

This comes a week after the NLRB approved of a previous Staten Island warehouse’s ability to hold a union vote.

Responding to a VICE reporter on Twitter the union said: “This is an amazing moment in history, seeing Amazon workers finally taking the brave steps to make their voices heard.”

According to the NLRB, the petition met all of the requirements needed to organize a vote. NLRB spokesperson Kayla Blado stated, “When the union files an 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 NLRB’s website explaining the election process.

Amazon took a different approach in their response.

While they didn’t respond to the AmNews’ requests, in a statement sent to The Verge, an Amazon spokesperson said they were “seeking to understand how these signatures were verified. Our employees have always had a choice of whether or not to join a union, and as we saw just a few months ago, the vast majority of our team in Staten Island did not support the ALU.”

Last November, Amazon workers on Staten Island withdrew their petition to unionize less than a few weeks before a hearing that would prove how many workers wanted to vote. It was, allegedly, canceled because they didn’t make it to the 30% threshold.

Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union head Stuart Appelbaum said that Staten Island needed to look South for inspiration.

“People all over the world, people like in Bessemer, Alabama [and] people in Staten Island, and people in Europe and elsewhere in the world are all complaining about the same sorts of things,” said Appelbaum at the time. “And that’s why there is high turnover at every Amazon warehouse.”

Appelbaum was speaking about Amazon workers at a fulfillment center in Alabama that will get a second crack at a vote with the NLRB having sent out ballots last Friday. This comes after the agency said that the retail giant had interfered in the outcome of

the previous election. Appelbaum said election results could have been available now if it weren’t for several maneuvers.

“Amazon’s misconduct during the first union election so tainted the outcome that the NLRB overturned the results and directed a second election for workers in Bessemer, Alabama,” stated Appelbaum in January. “We are deeply concerned that the decision fails to adequately prevent Amazon from continuing its objectionable behavior in a new election. We proposed to the NLRB a number of remedies that could have made the process fairer to workers, which were not taken up in the Notice of Election issued today.

“Workers’ voices can and must be heard fairly, unencumbered by Amazon’s limitless power to control what must be a fair and free election, and we will continue to hold them accountable for their actions.”

The election runs through March 25.

February: A month to grow

Gregory Floyd

President, Teamsters Local 237 and Vice President at-Large on the General Board of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters

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 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.

Amazon workers on Staten Island and in Alabama have hope that elections will bring organization.

Why we must extend the utility moratorium

By SENATOR KEVIN PARKER

No place in the United States has been hit harder from COVID-19 on a public health and economic basis than New York City, where consumers are reeling with the highest amount of utility arrears in the state. This is a crisis that disproportionately affects low- and fixed-income households in general and neighborhoods of color, “blended-status” and undocumented families in particular.

In December 2021, 419,309 Con Edison households were 60 days or greater behind on their utility bills for a total of $802 million. The utility sent out 128,299 termination notices that month, and 80,101 households were already “eligible” for a service shutoff. The city’s other energy utility, National GridNYC, had 296,261 households 60 days or more behind on their bills in December, for a total of $164 million. Grid sent out 112,422 termination notices and had more than 60,428 households already eligible for service termination. Since each household is approximately two and a half persons, one must multiply each number by three to accurately reflect the number of New Yorkers severely behind on their electric and heating bills. In other words, approximately 700,000 households, or roughly 2 million New Yorkers, collectively owe more than $966 million to energy utilities, reflecting about 50% of New York State’s entire unpaid utility bill total of more than $1.7 billion (in November 2021). There is simply no ability for consumers to pay these massive debts; it will be years before these unaffordable bills can be paid by our neighbors, our communities and for many, our own households. We can’t wait years for this crisis to fix itself. The shutoff protections granted under the Parker-Richardson law ceased on Dec. 21, and all utilities can lawfully restart service terminations as of Jan. 3, 2022. Despite verbal commitments from the energy utilities to halt disconnections until mid-April, the door is left open for water, telephone, internet, and cable providers. This means that the city’s water utility can begin to put tax liens on properties behind on bills and thus in danger of foreclosure. Internet, cable, and telephone providers can terminate service without regard to a household’s need to seek telemedicine, work from home, or educate our children who are most likely doomed for a third year of surprise school shifts to internet-based learning.

So, what can we do? First, the governor must work with the legislature to extend the moratorium since the solution to these unpaid bills will require using at least $1.25 billion in federal COVID relief funds in the 2022-2023 State Budget; like how the rent crisis was addressed in 2021. Second, since only energy utilities report the amount they are owed and how many households are in danger of termination, the governor and legislature must require all utilities to provide detailed data on the debts and exposure to shutoffs their customers face before the monies owed those non-energy utilities can be directly resolved. Last, New York must do better in the historic purpose of making utilities affordable. We cannot delay any longer and must reinstitute the utility service moratorium until these crippling debts are resolved.

I call on Gov. Hochul and my legislative colleagues to extend the utility moratorium and work with me to solve this financial crisis in the 2022-2023 budget and prevent millions of New Yorkers from being left in the cold and dark.

‘Trump is wrong!’

Is it because the midterm elections are drawing near? Or is it merely that the day of reckoning has arrived for a gaggle of Trump loyalists, now lining up to refute him and to take a step back from his assertion that the last presidential election was stolen?

It’s been a very interesting week of confessions from a number of noted Republicans, beginning with former Vice President Mike Pence. Pence declared that “President Trump is wrong. I had no right EDITORIAL to overturn the election,” and that rebuke of his former boss has unleashed a flood of rejections of a narrative many of them had either supported, or said nothing to deny. According to former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a diehard cohort, “Jan. 6 was a riot that was incited by Donald Trump in an effort to intimidate Mike Pence and the Congress into doing exactly what he said in his own words last week— overturn the election,” he said during a radio interview. More- Senator Kevin Parker chairs the State Senate Committee on over, he added, Trump is “trying to do a cleanup on aisle one here in Energy & Telecommunications and represents District 21 in correcting that stuff, but it’s not going to change. He actually told the Brooklyn; Richard Berkley is the executive director of the Public truth by accident. He wanted the election to be overturned.” Utility Law Project of New York.

A few days later, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell offered his two cents: “It was a violent insurrection for the purpose of trying to prevent a peaceful transfer of power after a legitimately certified election from one administration to the next,” he said. “That’s what it was.” Observing Black history still necessary McConnell even took exception to the RNC’s censuring of Reps. Liz Chaney and Adam Kinzinger, saying the “…The issue is whether or not the in face of critical thinking backlash RNC should be sort of singling out members of our party who may have dif- By MARC W. POLITE ferent views from the majority. That’s not the job of the RNC.”

His comments may have been an attempt to mitigate the growing Every February, the Black community takes the discord, widening gap in the party, or to mend fences without further opportunity to learn about the achievements of our disturbing the base. people. We read, study, and watch documentaries These conclusions are a day late and a dollar short to have any about Black historical figures. We have panel discuseffect on the outcome, if in fact they ever meant anything at all. But sions, seminars, and make the connection between it is good to see that several GOP stalwarts are beginning to under- the struggles of the past, and the opportunities of the stand how detrimental Trump’s provocations can be to the Republi- present. Invariably, every year, the question arises if this cans’ bid to take over Congress in the next election. time of historical observation is passé. The approach

All we need now is for Kevin McCarthy to cave in and for Giuliani to conclude of teaching Black history and Black accomplishments the folly of his mission to usurp the election, though that is unlikely to happen in some cases has become one-dimensional, causing until Trump himself fesses up, and he came pretty close the other day. a sense of false familiarity with all that we are. These in-

And it is certainly a revelation to hear a Republican say that “Trump ternal discussions are necessary and can broaden the is wrong,” because that is something we’ve been saying for years, and scope of the conversation. maybe if we say it long enough and loud enough it will echo in the po- At this time, it is important to recognize the social litical chambers and make a few more of Trump’s minions own up to and political climate that we are in, and how it plays a their misdeeds, their anti-democratic ways. role in how we regard our history. As we have seen in the past few years, a controversy that emerged around “The 1619 Project” report has touched off a discussion about critical race theory. Critical race theory is not some sinister ideology, but merely a way of understanding the inequalities and systemic racism that endures in the United States. The attempt to reckon with America’s foundation has provoked much ire, from some new politicians with old ideas. Some have even gone so far as to project their emotional distress over this matter into proposed legislation. The new Republican governor of Virginia, Glenn Youngkin, has quite literally made the struggle against critical race theory his first order of business. In the first of 11 executive orders, Youngkin has targeted what conservatives deem as “the use of divisive concepts” in public education. By decree, conservative forces have likened the teaching of a fuller view of American history to political indoctrination. In another example of retrograde legislation, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has backed a bill that protects people from being “uncomfortable” from material that addresses racial disparities. Instead of critical thinking and addressing social inequality, this act promotes the exaltation of feelings over facts. The truth of how this country came to be is offensive to some, and this is a way of suppressing it. In the face of these developments, how can anyone ask if we still “need” Black History Month? We are in a moment of reaction which threatens not just what is allowed to be taught in public institutions, but also a nascent movement away from addressing any social disparities. The backlash against teaching actual history is a stone’s throw away from book burning. This is a time of reaction, and we should be mindful about not willfully participating in our erasure. There are times when you don’t realize what you have until it is taken away from you. Those who attempt to codify these untruths will not relent, and neither should our pursuit of understanding what was, to change what is. Pan Africanist writer and historian John Henrik Clarke once said that “history is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of day.” As we begin this Black History Month in 2022, it is important to keep all of this in mind. Marc W. Polite is a social commentator, author, and member of the Harlem Writers Guild.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of the New York Amsterdam News. We continue to publish a variety of viewpoints so that we may know the opinions of others that may differ from our own.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS

Throughout our ongoing struggles with China, one key battle appears to have already been won by our adversary: the battle for arts and entertainment. Boasting a population of over 1.4 billion people, many of whom have the financial means to pay for and consume a wide variety of forms of entertainment, their market share for television, movies, and art rivals that of the actual country that produces the films—the United States. With a powerful government that has no qualms about restricting both media and the messages that their citizens consume, China has the ability to cut a movie’s box office earnings in half, obliterate television show viewership numbers, and completely deny entertainers and celebrities any form of notoriety within their country at the push of a button.

China’s impact on major American films is extremely strong, but very subtle, so subtle that it would go unnoticed by the public if it weren’t for eagle-eyed viewers. This style of influence is predicated on the omission or subtle alteration of information rather than a clear, unequivocal message. One such instance occurred in mid-2021, when the longawaited sequel to the 1986 film “Top Gun,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” sparked outrage within the United States when it was revealed in the trailer that the bomber jacket worn by Tom Cruise in the film, the same jacket worn in the 1986 version of the film, had the flags of Japan and Taiwan removed and replaced with random symbols. This would not be significant if the jacket was not otherwise identical to the jacket in the former film, but the fact that these two nations’ flags were replaced is an unmistakable demonstration of Chinese coercion; this conclusion is especially convincing considering the conflicts that China has with the two countries omitted.

In one of the most embarrassing instances of a celebrity kowtowing to Chinese pressure in recent memory, John Cena, a prominent, A-list, American actor, while conducting an interview promoting the film “Fast and Furious 9,” exclaimed, “Taiwan is the first country to watch ‘Fast and Furious 9.’” The mere suggestion of Taiwan as an independent country seemed to be too far beyond the pale for China to bear listening to, subsequently landing John Cena between a rock and a hard place, with escape from either direction being at the cost of his career or his reputation. Inevitably, he chose the path most followed, and embarrassingly portrayed himself as a Chinese sympathizer who cared more about the feelings of Chinese wallets than he did for the United States’ ally, Taiwan. “Fast and Furious” films frequently gross twice as much in China as they do in the United States; it’s clear that the studio likely pressured John Cena to make a humiliating apology to China. John Cena apologized in Mandarin in his video and pleaded for forgiveness for his “mistake,” which he stated, “I made a mistake, I’m so, so sorry for my mistake. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m very sorry. You have to understand I love and respect China and Chinese people. I’m sorry.” As a result of this controversy, John Cena became an internet joke overnight; dubbed as “John Xina,” you can find images of his face Photoshopped over an image of Mao Zedong.

If that wasn’t enough, Lady Gaga was barred from performing in China just because she visited with the Dalai Lama in 2016, Brad Pitt was banned for nearly 20 years because he starred in the film “Seven Years in Tibet,” and more recently, Keanu Reeves has run into trouble with Chinese censors for his presence at a Tibet benefit concert.

These are only a few examples of the Chinese government’s censoring of big-name entertainers, many of which are known, and likely even more which are unknown. The main problem is that China’s economic system serves a dual purpose: it employs a form of government-run capitalism that both encourages industry growth through private investment, while at the same time a big brother government keeps a close eye on them, waiting for them to succeed so that they can pounce and reap the benefits of a wider reach through new, innovative technology. This is true in both the entertainment and technology industries, with the Chinese government’s influence pervading practically every area of both. For example, the Chinese government has forced WeChat, a popular social media platform in China with over 1 billion users, to give away all of its users’ data so that the government can better manage and track them. WeChat would not exist if it weren’t for private investment, and it wouldn’t be misusing its users’ data if it weren’t for the government.

Truth ends where censorship begins. This is true in many facets of life, including in entertainment, social media, public spaces, and sidewalks; when someone’s lips are sewn shut, ideas cannot develop, and consequently truth will never come to be. For a government seeking to maintain control over its citizens’ daily lives, censorship is the most effective instrument for persuading them to believe what it wants, yet there will come a day when people care more about the ideals of freedom than the entertainment they consume. When that moment comes, a choice between censorship and freedom will materialize, and American movie studios will have to decide which of those two markets they prefer.

CHRISTINA GREER PH.D.

It usually takes me weeks or even months to process grief. The past two years have been especially traumatic for so many people who have lost loved ones in their family and friend circles due to COVID and other natural deaths. I was not personally affected by COVID deaths, but I have struggled processing so much loss in such a short period of time.

Lately it seems like some of our beloved and favorite celebrities are passing on. Betty White was just shy of 100 years old and lived a long and successful life. However, the death of Andre Leon Talley, famed fashion taste maker and editor, at the age of 73, seems far too young for someone to pass on. I have been trying to wrap my mind around so many losses in such a short succession and bracing myself for the reality that I am entering an era where I will begin to lose celebrity icons I grew up with, family and friends, and people in the baby boom generation who have been in my life in some capacity for many years.

When I lost my grandparents in my late twenties, I was really at a loss as to how I would ever process the loss. I recently witnessed a dear friend lose his grandmother and was immediately transported back to the feelings of being “unmoored” without the people who have loved me since the day I was born. I was able to share a photo with my friend about processing grief. The photo essentially explains that if we imagine grief as a ball, it does not shrink over time. Rather the jar gets larger over time to encapsulate the ball of grief and allow for more blessings and happiness to fill the jar.

As I process the reality that loss is a part of life, I am continuing to keep the families and community members in the Bronx in the forefront of my mind. As the entire Gambian and Bronx and New York communities heal from the tragic apartment fire, the loss will take time to comprehend. As members of the NYPD continue to heal from the loss of their colleagues who were killed in the line of duty, I am trying to keep that entire community in my mind as well, something that I have not actively done in the past.

Although the effects of COVID do not seem as deadly as they once were in early 2020, we must still remain vigilant and remember the countless families and communities who have lost loved ones and continue to lose friends and family due to COVID complications and preexisting conditions complicated by COVID.

It is unrealistic to think the new year will not bring a series of losses, but hopefully the new year will allow us to grow and heal… even in loss.

Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University, the author of “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream,” and the co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.