What Does Amazon Labor Union’s Win Mean for the Future of Labor Organizing in the US?

KQED's Forum

KQED

News Commentary, News, Politics

4.2 • 727 Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2022

⏱️ 56 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Earlier this month, workers at an Amazon warehouse in New York City voted to form the first union in company history. Organized mostly by current and former workers, the successful union drive did not rely on professional organizers and was financed not by union dues, but by GoFundMe donations. The win is energizing to many self-organizing union drives that are gaining momentum elsewhere, like Starbucks and Apple stores. So could Amazon Labor Union’s success as an independent union contribute to a new playbook for labor organizing? We’ll take a closer look at the possible ripple effects and we’ll also learn about the often untold history of various labor organizers who similarly carved their own paths in the U.S. labor movement. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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0:31.3	Thank you. From KQED in San Francisco, I'm Nina Kim.
0:46.3	Coming up on forum, we look at what a landmark union victory at an Amazon warehouse in New York City means for organized labor. The union that organized
0:55.7	warehouse workers at JFK-8 was not a traditional labor union with professional organizers.
1:02.0	It was independent and made up of current and former Amazon workers who were financed by
1:07.1	GoFundMe campaigns. We'll look at the impact of their win and other successful recent independent union drives
1:13.0	and what lessons they hold for big, wealthy, more established unions.
1:18.3	That's next on Forum. I'm Mina Kim.
1:35.3	This month, a group of current and former Amazon warehouse workers on Staten Island managed to pull off what had alluded big established labor groups in the U.S.
1:45.4	A successful union drive at Amazon, one of the most powerful companies in the world.
1:50.2	The win is being hailed as a massive opportunity for organized labor and an eye-opener for traditional labor unions.
1:56.8	And joining me now to talk more about this is Kim Kelly, a journalist and author,
	...

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