The New York Times reports that “a dissident group within the Amazon Labor Union, the only certified union in the country representing Amazon employees, filed a complaint in federal court Monday seeking to force the union to hold a leadership election.
“The union won an election at a Staten Island warehouse with more than 8,000 employees in April 2022, but Amazon has challenged the result and has yet to begin bargaining on a contract.
“The rise of the dissident group, which calls itself the A.L.U. Democratic Reform Caucus and includes a co-founder and former treasurer of the union, reflects a growing split within the union that appears to have undermined its ability to pressure Amazon. The split has also threatened to sap the broader labor movement of the momentum generated by last year’s high-profile victory.
“In its complaint, the reform caucus argues that the union and its president, Christian Smalls, illegally ‘refuse to hold officer elections which should have been scheduled no later than March 2023.’
“The complaint asks a federal judge to schedule an election of the union’s top officers for no later than Aug. 30 and to appoint a neutral monitor to oversee the election. Mr. Smalls said in a text message Monday that the complaint was ‘a ridiculous claim with zero facts or merit,’ and a law firm representing the union said it would seek legal sanctions against the reform group’s lawyer if the complaint was filed.”
KC’s View:
It is tough when dissidents have their own dissidents. I’m sure Amazon is sitting back and enjoying the spectacle.
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