By Hilary Russ and Doyinsola Oladipo
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Workers at an Amazon.com Inc warehouse near Albany, New York, are seeking to unionize, the National Labor Relations Board said in a statement on Tuesday.
The Amazon Labor Union – the same independent group that organized a historic union win at another warehouse on New York’s Staten Island in April – petitioned the federal labor board to hold an election at the warehouse near Albany and represent about 400 workers.
Employees at dozens of Amazon warehouses across the United States are considering joining unions as the online retailer faces claims that it prioritizes profit over worker safety and has unlawfully discouraged union organizing.
Asked for comment on the Albany area warehouse, Amazon spokesperson Paul Flanagan said: “Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have. As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees. Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work.”
The warehouse near Albany is one of several Amazon warehouses where workers have filed a petition to unionize within the past year.
The Amazon Labor Union organized elections at two Staten Island warehouses. One voted to unionize and the other did not.
A union petition at a small New Jersey warehouse was withdrawn.
(Reporting by Hilary Russ and Doyinsola Oladipo in New YorkEditing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)
