Workers at Island's Largest Employer Authorize a Strike if the Company Continues Refusing Contract Negotiations

Workers on Staten Island made history in April 2022, as the first union to win certification at an Amazon facility in the United States. Amazon JFK8 at 546 Gulf Ave is the Island's largest employer with 8,325 employees, as of the 2022 National Labor Relations Board ballot count. The Amazon Labor Union affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters in 2024 to become ALU-IBT, allowing a new phase of growth and strategy.

Since the Union's certification in 2022, ALU-IBT Local 1 has focused on building collective power in the warehouse, developing worker leaders inside the warehouse. “We’ve spent the past few months building a real structure and support system inside JFK8,” said Wajdy Bzezi, a shift lead steward and key worker-organizer. “This isn’t just about winning a vote—it’s about empowering all of my coworkers to stand up for their rights and take collective action to demand what we deserve.”

Amazon, however, has refused to bargain with workers' elected representatives, flagrantly violating federal labor laws and committing Unfair Labor Practices (ULPs). Despite its public claims of valuing employees, Amazon has spent millions on union-busting consultants and legal maneuvers to delay negotiations and suppress organizing efforts.

With a strike imminent, JFK8 workers are calling on the community to stand with them in any way they can, including:

• Donate to the Solidarity Fund: Help workers sustain their fight by contributing to the strike fund.
• Show Up on the Picket Line: Join workers at JFK8 to demonstrate solidarity and hold Amazon accountable for their illegal refusal to negotiate a union contract.
• Spread the Word: Use social media and local networks to raise awareness about the workers’ struggle and the importance of their fight for justice at Amazon.
• Sign the Petition: Stand with Amazon workers and demand that Amazon guarantee a safe return to work, free of harassment and retaliatory disciplinary action, to all workers participating in protected collective action.
• Contact Elected Officials: Urge representatives to publicly support JFK8 workers and pressure Amazon to negotiate in good faith.

New York State Senator Jessica Ramos, who represents the 13th District and is the Labor Chair for the New York State Senate, has rallied in support of ALU-IBT efforts in Queens. Ramos told a crowd in October, gathered outside of Amazon's DBK4 warehouse in Maspeth, Queens, “Let today be a warning that these Amazon workers are not alone, they have the Teamsters behind them, they have community organizations behind them, they have elected officials at every level of government behind them, and we’re going to fight, not only until they get recognition of their union, but until they get the fair contract they deserve.”

Silence from Island's City and State Elected Officials

Staten Island elected officials thus far, remain silent on the strike authorization. City Council Members Kamillah Hanks (D-49), David Carr (D-50), and Joseph Borelli (D-51) as well as Borough President Vito Fossella did not respond to a request for comment on ALU-IBT's strike authorization when contacted by Plea for the Fifth. Sarah Blas, challenging Kamillah Hanks for Council District 49 in 2025, stands with "Amazon workers demanding fair pay, safety, and respect. These workers keep our Island running while Amazon rakes in billions and refuses to negotiate—it’s outrageous. My first job in hospice care, was with 1199 [SEIU] right here on Staten Island, this is where I learned that workers’ rights are non-negotiable. Staten Island deserves leaders who will hold corporations accountable and fight for the dignity of every worker."

At the State level, NY State Senators Jessica Scarcella-Spanton (SD-23), Andrew Lanza (SD-24), as well as State Assembly Members Charles D. Fall (AD-61), Michael Reilly (AD-62), Sam Pirozzolo (AD-63), and Michael Tannousis (AD-64) similarly did not respond to a request for comment.