Employers at AmazonWarehouse on Staten Island was overwhelming against unionization on Monday

The final vote count was 380 in favor and 618 against joining the union. Officials claimed that 1,633 workers from the LDJ5 warehouse had the right to vote about whether or not they were part of Amazon Labor Union. There were also two null ballots. These results need to be officially certified by the National Labor Relations Board.

This is a major win for Amazon after it suffered defeat at the hands of JFK8, a nearby Amazon warehouse. voted in favor of the company’s first U.S. union.

According to the Amazon Labor Union, all LDJ5 employees should receive minimum $30 per hour. Amazon reports that the hourly average starting salary at U.S. fulfillment centers in America is $18 an hour. In addition to other demands, the union sought extended breaks and higher benefits.

Amazon, however has been persistent and determined in trying to dissuade employees from signing up. The e-commerce company held mandatory meetings at LDJ5, where workers were asked to watch anti-union presentations. hired an influential Democratic pollster to assist with its campaign, CNBC previously reported.

Since the Covid pandemic struck the United States in the early 2020s, worker activism has risen across the nation. A strained labor marketplace further fueled support for unionization. Workers are now taking advantage of this moment to demand better wages and more benefits from their employers.

Christian Smalls, former JFK8 Manager, started the ALU after Smalls was fired. Smalls had been accused of violating social distance rules. Smalls claimed he was fired because he staged a demonstration in the first weeks of 2009. the coronavirus pandemic to call for stronger safety measures.

Before the pandemic, the last substantial union vote at a U.S. Amazon facility took place at a Delaware warehouse in 2014, when a group of repair technicians voted 21 to 6 against joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.