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Chris Smalls

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Chris Smalls
Smalls in April 2022
Born
Christian Smalls

1988 or 1989 (age 35–36)
Hackensack, New Jersey, U.S.
OccupationLabor organizer
Known forWorkers' rights activism
Notable workAmazon Labor Union
Chris Smalls's voice
recorded April 2022

Christian Smalls (born 1988 or 1989)[1] is an American labor organizer known for his role in leading Amazon worker organization in Staten Island, a borough in New York City.[2][3] He is the president and founder of the Amazon Labor Union since 2021.

Early life and education

Smalls was born and raised in Hackensack, New Jersey and was often bullied as a child since he was unable to have trendy possessions.[4] As a teenager, he began working jobs and played basketball and ran track and field at Hackensack High School.[4][5][6][7] He had hoped to play in the National Basketball Association, until he was run over in a hit and run rendering him as disabled while working a job as a car attendant.[5]

Smalls briefly pursued a career as a rapper, and toured briefly with Meek Mill, but then gave this up to support his children with a series of jobs, including at Walmart, Home Depot, and MetLife Stadium from 2012 to 2015.[4][7][8] Smalls says his friends say of him now, "I guess your voice was meant for something else."[6][8] Smalls also worked as a warehouse worker at FedEx and Target.[5][9]

Amazon

2015–2020

See also: Criticism of Amazon § Treatment of workers

Smalls joined Amazon in 2015 as a picker.[1][9] He worked briefly at a warehouse in Connecticut, where he was fired and reinstated after an appeal.[9] He was transferred to the Staten Island warehouse (JFK8) when it opened in 2018, and worked as an assistant manager. Smalls said that he was transferred because of good performance, but applied for management positions 49 times during his career, and was never selected for the promotion, which he believes was reflective of systemic racial discrimination he observed in the company. Smalls said that he liked working at the company for a while,[1][9] until he started to recognize what he alleged to be "deep systemic" issues within the company. Smalls alleges that Amazon has issues with safety protocols, citing the injury rate, ageism, sexism, racism, and discrimination against caregivers. Amazon has said "We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment in any form," and that they are working to cut their injury rates down and that they "want [employees] to be healthy and safe".[1]

Smalls contacted local politicians, health officials and Amazon's human resources (HR), after an extremely ill colleague was allowed to come to work with symptoms while waiting on the results of a COVID-19 test. He said that no action was taken by HR.[9] Smalls organized a walkout on March 30, 2020[10] in protest of Amazon's safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic and calling the company to temporarily close JFK8.[11] Smalls challenged the company's personal protections and lack of social distancing,[1] and alleged that Amazon failed to disclose a worker's COVID-19 illness to the workforce. Smalls had been exposed to the confirmed case on March 11, 2020, but was not notified until March 28, 2020,[10] prompting Smalls to file a complaint with the New York State Department of Health.[12]

On the same day of the walkout, Smalls was fired by Amazon. The company's senior vice president (SVP) of policy and press, Jay Carney claimed on Twitter that Smalls had violated the company's social distancing policies, and that he was on a paid 14-day quarantine after being exposed to someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 when he staged the walkout. However, the quarantine would have ended on March 25, 2020, if the company had started it during the incubation period for Smalls' exposure.[1][10][12]

Letitia James, the Attorney General of New York, accused Amazon of unlawfully discharging Smalls, and later ordered a probe into the matter, after initial investigations revealed a "chilling effect" from Smalls' firing.[1][13] James' investigation found that the company had illegally terminated Smalls, and filed for an injunction that would force Amazon to rehire Smalls.[14]

Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of New York City, and Senator Bernie Sanders referred to the termination as "disgraceful".[12] Blasio ordered the city's human rights commissioner to investigate Smalls' dismissal and James called on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to investigate the discharge.[12][15] Nine senators, including Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to the company demanding more information about Smalls' termination, along with the firings of three other whistleblowers.[16] The country's most prominent union leaders sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive officer, demanding that Smalls be reinstated.[11] Tim Bray, the former VP of Amazon Web Services quit over the dismissals, citing in a blog post, "I'm sure it's a coincidence that every one of them is a person of color, a woman, or both, right?"[17]

On April 2, 2020, a memo from a daily brief with Bezos was leaked to Vice referring to Smalls as "not smart or articulate". The note came from Amazon's General Counsel, David Zapolsky, who further urged that it would be good public relations (PR) to make Smalls "the face of the entire union/organizing movement" and "layout a case" for why Smalls' conduct was "immoral, unacceptable, and arguably illegal".[11][12] Smalls referred to the remarks as "definitely racist". Zapolsky denied knowing that Smalls was Black at the time of his statements,[1] and released a statement saying he was "frustrated and upset" that an Amazon worker would "endanger the health and safety of other [Amazon workers]". U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated, "Amazon’s attempt to smear Chris Smalls, one of their own warehouse workers, as 'not smart or articulate' is a racist & classist PR campaign."[18] Smalls said that the company was more interested in squashing bad PR than protecting its workers and their families.[12]

2020–present

The Congress of Essential Workers

After his discharge from Amazon in 2020, Smalls founded The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a labor-activist group.[6] On May 1, 2020, Smalls and TCOEW helped orchestrate a May Day strike at Amazon, Target, Walmart, and other large companies across the country.[6] On October 5, 2020, the group staged a Prime Day protest, in which around 100 people marched from Will Rogers Memorial Park to Bezos' mansion worth $165 million in Beverly Hills, California to ask for $2 per hour raises.[19]

Amazon Labor Union

Main article: Amazon Labor Union
See also: Amazon worker organization
Two reporters, one with a camera, interview Smalls in front of the NLRB building, where the votes were counted.
Smalls being interviewed by reporters after the announcement that workers had voted to form a union.

On April 20, 2021, Smalls established the Amazon Labor Union (ALU),[1] backed by his labor-activist group, TCOEW.[20] He said that unionizing is important for job security, living wages, paid time off, and medical leave. Smalls said that two of the organizers, current Amazon employees, have been living out of their cars. An Amazon spokesperson said that a union would get in the way of employee bargaining.[9] He also said that the company has invasive surveillance of workers to monitor their time, in order to evaluate performance and determine break times, which is a motivator for unionizing, saying "Who wants to be surveilled all day? It's not prison. It's work." Amazon has said that they "don't set unreasonable performance goals", but the company was fined by the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) for "monitoring and discipline systems" in direct relation to workplace musculoskeletal disorders. The company has disputed L&I's findings.[21]

In order to gather signatures for a union authorization vote, Smalls set up a tent alongside a public transit stop near JFK8 with a sign that read, "Sign Your Authorization Cards Here". He has accused the company of union busting, including posting anti-union signs in the bathrooms, sending anti-union text messages to workers, surveilling organizing workers, and holding mandatory meetings with anti-union "falsehoods", like that in signing an authorization card "you give up the right to speak for yourself". Smalls also alleged that Amazon is warning its workers of expensive union dues, and harassing and scaring employees.[1]

Smalls said he combatted the anti-union push by exposing it to the public and providing pro-union messaging, like that "unionized workers make $11,000 more per year than non-union workers on average," an amount much higher than the average cost of union dues.[1]

On January 26, 2022, the ALU announced they had reached enough signatures to petition a vote with the NLRB.[22] Smalls also tweeted the news.[23] The vote took place in March 2022, the same time as a union vote in another Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama led by worker Jennifer Bates.[24]

Another ALU-backed union vote was announced on March 2, 2022, out of the Staten Island warehouse LDH5.[25]

On April 1, 2022, the workers at JFK8 voted 2,654-2,131 in favor of the union.[26] Smalls told a crowd that "We did whatever it took to connect with these workers" and "I hope that everybody's paying attention now because a lot of people doubted us."[27]

Smalls v. Amazon, Inc.

On November 12, 2020, Smalls filed a class-action lawsuit against Amazon alleging the company violated federal and state law by putting warehouse workers at risk during the pandemic and by terminating him. One of Smalls' attorneys, Michael Sussmann, cited racial discrimination as a cause of action.[28][29] On March 15, 2022, a motion to dismiss filed by Amazon was granted, and on March 21, 2022, a notice of appeal was filed by Smalls.[30]

New York v. Amazon, Inc.

In February 2021, Attorney General of New York Letitia James sued Amazon for allegedly providing inadequate safety precautions and retaliation against employees who complained, including Smalls.[31][32] James seeks changes in Amazon policies and training, as well as financial compensation for Smalls and the opportunity for him to return to his job at Amazon.[31][33]

Personal life

Smalls was married for seven years,[34] and has three children, including a set of twins.[5][11] Smalls is frequently seen wearing streetwear and has faced some criticism for his style, with Smalls saying that his appearance is a part of his history with hip hop culture, that comments of critics "really motivates me to continue dressing the way I do because I want y’all to understand it’s not about how I look" and that "If I was to run for president, I would look just like this ... I’d walk in the White House with a pair of Jordans on because this is who I am as a person".[4] Smalls is active on Twitter, where he tweets about the ALU and other labor organizing issues.[23][35]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Greenhouse, Steven (June 4, 2021). "Amazon fired him – now he's trying to unionize 5,000 workers in New York". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 17, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  2. ^ Betts, Anna; Jaffe, Greg; Lerman, Rachel (April 2, 2022). "Meet Chris Smalls, the man who organized Amazon workers in New York". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Hsu, Andrea; Selyukh, Alina (April 2, 2022). "He was fired by Amazon 2 years ago. Now he's the force behind the company's 1st union". NPR. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Cherelus, Gina (April 6, 2022). "Taking On Amazon in Streetwear". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d "The 2021 New York City 40 Under 40". City & State NY. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d Feitelberg, Rosemary (May 11, 2020). "Amazon Whistleblower Chris Smalls to Launch Group for Essential Workers". WWD. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Tobin, Michael; Soper, Spencer (March 24, 2022). "Amazon Fired and Disparaged Him. Then He Started a Labor Union". Bloomberg News. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  8. ^ a b Dastin, Jeffrey (April 1, 2022). "Amazon union leader Smalls went from rapper to voice of protest". Reuters. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Linebaugh, Kate (October 26, 2021). "The Man Behind the Latest Push to Unionize Amazon". WSJ Podcasts. The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  10. ^ a b c Evelyn, Kenya (March 31, 2021). "Amazon fires New York worker who led strike over coronavirus concerns". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c d Bellafante, Ginia (April 3, 2020). "'We Didn't Sign Up for This': Amazon Workers on the Front Lines". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Carrie Wong, Julia (April 2, 2020). "Amazon execs labeled fired worker 'not smart or articulate' in leaked PR notes". The Guardian. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  13. ^ Sollenberger, Roger (April 28, 2020). "New York attorney general probes Amazon for possible labor and safety standard violations". Salon. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  14. ^ Hamilton, Isobel Asher (December 1, 2021). "New York's AG is trying to force Amazon to re-hire a worker it fired after he led a protest over COVID-19 safety conditions". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  15. ^ Palmer, Annie (March 31, 2020). "Amazon fires warehouse worker who led Staten Island strike for more coronavirus protection". CNBC. Archived from the original on March 31, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  16. ^ Conger, Kate (May 7, 2020). "Senators Want to Know if Amazon Retaliated Against Whistle-Blowers". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on February 18, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  17. ^ Lyons, Kim (May 4, 2020). "Amazon VP quits over whistleblower firings in scathing blog post". The Verge. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  18. ^ Spocchia, Gino (April 3, 2020). "AOC blasts Amazon as 'racist' after leaked notes say senior execs planned to publicly shame black worker in meeting with Jeff Bezos". The Independent. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  19. ^ Blest, Paul (October 5, 2020). "Amazon Workers Went to Jeff Bezos' $165 Million Mansion to Ask For a $2 Raise". Vice. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  20. ^ Rubio-Licht, Nat; Irwin, Veronica (February 8, 2022). "Amazon's union fight: Here's what's happening now". Protocol. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  21. ^ Greene, Jay (December 2, 2021). "Amazon's employee surveillance fuels unionization efforts: 'It's not prison, it's work'". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on December 8, 2021. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  22. ^ Lerman, Rachel (January 26, 2022). "Amazon workers on Staten Island collect enough signatures to hold union vote". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  23. ^ a b Menegus, Bryan (January 26, 2022). "Amazon workers in Staten Island reach union vote threshold". Yahoo News. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
  24. ^ Hamilton, Isobel Asher (February 17, 2022). "Amazon workers in Staten Island will vote on whether to form a union next month". Business Insider. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  25. ^ Wakabayashi, Daisuke (March 3, 2022). "A Second Amazon Site on Staten Island Will Have a Union Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  26. ^ Kantor, Jodi; Weise, Karen (April 2, 2022). "How Two Best Friends Beat Amazon". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  27. ^ Sherman, Natalie (April 2, 2022). "Amazon workers win battle to form first US union". BBC News. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  28. ^ Fung, Brian (November 12, 2020). "Fired Amazon worker sues over pandemic working conditions". CNN. Archived from the original on February 19, 2022. Retrieved February 19, 2022.
  29. ^ Dickey, Megan Rose (November 12, 2020). "Amazon faces lawsuit alleging failure to provide PPE to workers during pandemic". Techcrunch. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  30. ^ "Smalls v. Amazon, Inc. (1:20-CV-05492)". UniCourt. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  31. ^ a b Weise, Karen (February 16, 2021). "New York Sues Amazon, Saying It Inadequately Protected Workers From Covid-19". The New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  32. ^ "Attorney General James Files Lawsuit Against Amazon for Failing to Protect Workers During COVID-19 Pandemic". New York State Attorney General. February 17, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  33. ^ Del Rey, Jason (February 17, 2021). "New York is suing Amazon over pandemic labor conditions". Recode. Vox. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  34. ^ Pierce, Alie (February 21, 2021). "Meet Chris Smalls – the New Jerseyan who stood up against the richest man in the world". WeekenderNJ. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  35. ^ Bain, Marc (April 29, 2020). "As health concerns grow, Amazon and Target workers plan a strike". Quartz. Archived from the original on February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
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