Amazon Workers On How They Won — & What Comes Next
Amazon Workers On How They Won — & What Comes Next
It’s been a whirlwind week for working-class struggle. Personally, I’ve already got butterflies in my stomach about MC'ing an amazing panel with Amazon Labor Union leaders — this coming Monday (April 11), 8pm ET — on lessons of their victory for organizing your workplace. It’s going to be great, please RSVP here and boost widely on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
What’s next for the struggle at Amazon? After much speculation about future plans, ALU president Chris Smalls explained at yesterday’s press conference/mini rally that he met in DC with Sara Nelson and Teamsters’ president Sean O’Brien, who has pledged to put real resources into supporting ALU’s autonomous organizing:
The most powerful speech of the day came from ALU vice president Derrick Palmer, who laid out the stakes:
Palmer closed out with some choice words for Amazon about the upcoming election at LDJ5, the sorting center where the ALU later this month is hoping to win its second big union election:
Focused as ever on winning her co-workers to join the movement, ALU chair Angelika Maldonado made a case for unifying across divisions to win “the contract of our dreams”:
And, like with any great labor struggle, there was lots of singing and collective joy:
ALU has already made history, but we shouldn’t underestimate the power of corporate America. How far this upsurge will go largely depends on efforts to ramp up organizing over the coming weeks at LDJ5, at other Amazon warehouses, and in workplaces all across the country. For the first time in years, our side has real political momentum. We can’t afford to squander this opening.
[RSVP here for Monday’s call with ALU leaders]