Grassroots labor group takes on Amazon in NYC union fight

An independent group formed by former and current Amazon workers is trying to unionize a company warehouse in New York City

NEW YORK -- An independent group formed by former and current Amazon workers is trying to organize a company warehouse in New York City, a David and Goliath scenario that could lead to the retail giant's first unionized facility in the U.S.

Workers at an Amazon fulfillment center in Staten Island will determine whether or not they want to form a union, with the vote count expected to begin as soon as Thursday.

A separate organizing effort is currently underway in Alabama, where the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union faces another tough challenge in a re-do election to unionize Amazon workers in the city of Bessemer.

In New York, the nascent Amazon Labor Union has led the charge in a fierce labor fight, where the nation’s second-largest private employer has made every effort to fend off labor organizers and Chris Smalls, a fired Amazon employee who now leads the fledging group.