The Teamsters’ new international president has pledged to step up the pressure on Amazon.com Inc. and mount its own efforts to unionize the company after workers in New York voted to form its first U.S. union on Friday.
Sean O’Brien, who was sworn in as international president of the Teamsters union last month, said it was vital to organize Amazon, asserting that the e-commerce company has “total disrespect” for its workers and is putting downward pressure on standards for unionized warehouse workers and truck drivers across the U.S., the Guardian reported.
Workers at the Staten Island warehouse won 2,654 yes votes versus 2,131 no votes. A second vote is set for another Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, and the Amazon Labor Union is trying to sign up workers at two other facilities in the New York borough.
