A warehouse in Campbellsville, Kentucky – SDF1 – is in the midst of a union drive in affiliation with Amazon Labor Union.

Via WDRB:

The Campbellsville workers hope to establish a chapter of the Amazon Labor Union, according to Matt Littrell, 22, a picker at the Kentucky fulfillment center and the chairman of the organizing committee for the Campbellsville effort.

The union drive joins efforts around the country, including a win at a Staten Island warehouse. The Amazon union push also can be seen as part of an even larger trend in corporate America, unfolding at Starbucks, Apple, REI, Trader Joe’s. Smaller outfits like City Feed and Pavement Coffee are exercising their right to unionize at the local level.

The Kentucky warehouse employs about 1,000 workers, around 800 of whom would be eligible to vote in a union election.

Both the union drive and Amazon are taking it slow. Campbellsville, KY is not an area with traditionally strong union membership or understanding of what benefits unions can offer workers. As the largest employer in the area, the online retail behemoth has the leverage to influence the union drive. But it will likely take a more cautious approach than it took at the Staten Island location, when a heavy-handed response to a union drive encouraged, rather than stifled, the nascent labor movement. The immediate Amazon response is the familiar “third-partying” maneuver, framing unions as outside voices instead of the will of their own workforce. Via the Lexington Herald Leader:

Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement to the Herald-Leader that employees have always had the choice of whether to join a union, but the company doesn’t believe unions are the best answer. “Our focus remains on working directly with our team to continue making Amazon a great place to work,” Nantel continued in a statement responding to allegations against the company.

A “more cautious approach,” however, does not preclude Amazon enlisting local law enforcement into its union-busting response. Via Jacobin:

[Warehouse organizer Matt] Littrell says the organizing drive within SDF1 has been building for months. Earlier this month, Amazon called the sheriff’s office on him and several others who were flyering outside of the facility. As Littrell told the Washington Post shortly after the incident, “We were completely within our rights to be there.” That fact didn’t stop a process assistant, a low-level management position at Amazon, from asking Littrell, “How’s the revolution going?”

A charge was filed with the NLRB, highlighting Amazon’s illegal response. Via Jacobin:

Littrell has added the incident to the unfair labor practice (ULP) charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in May, a task in which he was assisted by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.

Indeed, some workers at SDF1 fear Amazon will close the warehouse altogether as a gambit to kill union momentum in its nationwide workforce.

The sources of concern prompting the union drive, however, may loom larger than fears about Amazon’s retaliation.

Among the factors prompting the organized worker push:

-excessive heat and unventilated warehouse space

-lack of benefits

-lack of job security

-lack of fair compensation for work

-unpaid signing bonuses

-grueling productivity quotas, combined with write-ups for failing to hit impossible benchmarks

-lack of worker input in operations and disregard of worker concerns

The long term goal is winning union recognition and addressing all of the concerns mentioned above. The bottom line is fair compensation for fair, humane work. Via the Courier Journal:

The union is also asking for more equity. Many employees eventually learn to do tasks that aren't part of their initial hiring contracts, Littrell said. The group wants them to be paid more for the extra learning and labor. 

"They don't give any pay for that, and that's fundamentally so exploitative," he said, adding that base pay is $15.50 to start.

To this end the workers at SDF1 have affiliated with Amazon Labor Union. Earlier contacts with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers broke off amicably. Warehouse organizer Littrell commented, via the Courier Journal:

Littrell said union organization efforts faltered with an original partner, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Workers had started signing authorization cards, but Littrell said the group didn't "understand the specific mentality and unique situation of Amazon employees." 

Employees are preparing to  repeat the process with the Amazon Labor Union, Littrell said, adding that he polled workers about which representative they prefer.

This story is developing. Stay tuned for further developments.

Support the Amazon Labor Union at SDF1 by contributing to their strike fund.

Say hi to the Amazon Labor Union at SDF1 on Twitter.

Hear from an organizing worker at the warehouse via More Perfect Union.