Amazon workers on Staten Island vote for company's first unionized warehouse in U.S.

Jason Anthony, a member of Amazon Labor Union, speaks to members of the media during the vote count to unionize Amazon workers outside the National Labor Relations Board offices in New York, U.S., on Friday, April 1, 2022.

Employees at an Amazon warehouse on New York's Staten Island voted Friday to join a union, a groundbreaking move for organized labor and a stinging defeat for the e-commerce giant, which has aggressively fought unionization efforts at the company.

The tally was 2,654 votes in favor of joining the union and 2,131 opposed. Approximately 8,325 workers were eligible to vote whether to become part of the Amazon Labor Union. There were 67 challenged ballots, a gap that's too narrow to change the outcome of the election. The results still need to be formally certified by the National Labor Relations Board.

The Staten Island facility, known as JFK8, is Amazon's largest in New York and now has the distinction of being the first in the U.S. to unionize despite workers having to stare down a hefty anti-union campaign. Amazon papered the walls at JFK8 with banners that proclaimed "Vote No," set up a website and held weekly mandatory meetings. It even hired an influential consulting and polling firm with close ties to Democratic political groups, and touted its own benefits over those offered by unions.

By voting in the Amazon Labor Union, Staten Island workers could challenge the company's current labor model, which is the backbone of its Prime two-day shipping promise. Unions stand to disrupt the level of control that Amazon exerts over its warehouse and delivery employees, like its ability to unilaterally set the pace of work and hourly wages, labor experts previously told CNBC.

"We're disappointed with the outcome of the election in Staten Island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees," an Amazon spokesperson said. "We're evaluating our options, including filing objections based on the inappropriate and undue influence by the NLRB that we and others (including the National Retail Federation and U.S. Chamber of Commerce) witnessed in this election."

The ALU has called for Amazon to put in place "more reasonable" productivity rates in the warehouse. It's also urging the company to raise wages, as well as give workers more paid breaks and vacation, among other demands.

The ALU was an unlikely contender to win the first unionized Amazon warehouse. Started in 2021, it's a grassroots, worker-led organization that's largely depended on crowdsourced donations from a GoFundMe account to fund organizing activities.