Amazon union organizer arrested outside of NYC warehouse

A labor organizer and two workers were arrested outside an Amazon warehouse in Staten Island, New York, according to the Amazon Labor Union.

Christian Smalls, president of the fledgling ALU, was arrested Wednesday in the company parking lot, according to Connor Spence, a union vice-president who said he witnessed the incident.

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Smalls had driven onto the property to deliver food and union literature for employees to share with co-workers, Spence said. ALU lawyer Seth Goldstein also said Smalls and two Amazon employees were taken into custody.

A New York Police Department spokesperson said three people were arrested for “refusing to leave the facility.”

Earlier this month, the ALU and Amazon reached an agreement to hold a union election at the JFK8 fulfillment center. The in-person vote will be held from March 25 to March 30.

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Smalls couldn’t be reached for comment. The names of the other two people arrested were not immediately available. Amazon didn’t immediately comment.

Smalls worked at Amazon for more than four years before being fired in 2020 for what the company said was a violation of safety guidelines. Smalls said he was protesting Amazon’s inadequate COVID-19 policies.