A union for Amazon warehouse workers elects a new leader in wake of Teamsters affiliation

Workers at Amazon's only unionized warehouse in the U.S. elected new union leaders, according to a vote count completed Tuesday, marking the first major change for the labor group since it established an alliance with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.

A slate of candidates headed up by a former Amazon worker named Connor Spence received the most votes cast by employees from the warehouse located in the New York City borough of Staten Island. Although turnout was very low, Spence received enough support to lead the Amazon Labor Union as it aims to secure a contract with a company that has resisted those efforts for years.

Spence, a prominent organizer with the union, more recently led a dissident group that sued the union last year to force new leadership election amid internal strife. He was fired by Amazon last year for violating a company policy that forbids workers from accessing company buildings or outdoor work areas when they’re off the clock, a policy critics say is designed to hinder organizing.

Only 5% of the 5,312 workers employed in the warehouse voted by mail-in ballot, said Arthur Schwartz, an attorney who represents the dissident group. Spence received 137 out of 247 votes cast, Schwartz said, defeating a current ALU officer named Claudia Ashterman and another prominent organizer named Michelle Valentin.