MEET OUR CANDIDATES FOR ALU’S EXECUTIVE BOARD

The ALU Democratic Reform Caucus (ALU-DRC) is officially announcing the ALU Reform Caucus Slate in the upcoming Amazon Labor Union leadership elections. Our team represents a strong balance of the skills necessary to steer our union in the right direction: strong experience and success organizing internally at JFK8 and externally at other warehouses nationally; strong understanding of labor law; experience with fundraising; an ability to build coalition with other unions and organizations; and an unyielding commitment to union democracy. Read about our candidates and platform below:

Connor Spence is running for President of the Amazon Labor Union. Connor is a 6+ year Amazon veteran and co-founder of the ALU. Spence has built a reputation as a fierce and knowledgeable organizer, leading many coworkers to ask him to run.

Dr. Brima Sylla is running for Vice President of the ALU. Brima immigrated to the United States from Liberia in 2001. He has shown himself to be a passionate leader in the warehouse. He’s proficient in seven languages and has two masters degrees in Political Science and International Relations, as well as a PhD in Public Policy.

Kathleen “Kat” Cole is running for Secretary-Treasurer of the Amazon Labor Union. She is fearless when confronting union busting management, and is a warehouse worker-leader. Kat has a BA in English and Psychology, and is pursuing a Labor Studies Certificate at CUNY.

Sultana Hossain is running for Recording Secretary of the ALU. Sultana started working at Amazon in 2020. As a Tier 3 Learning Trainer, she onboarded thousands of associates. She has a BS in Biology and Women’s Studies, and has experience in community organizing.

— Rebuilding ALU Together —

Our Platform

  • Since JFK8’s historic union election win in 2022, our union has failed to make progress towards a union contract. Early on, many of the workplace leaders and activists who made our historic victory possible felt alienated by our union’s lack of democracy, transparency, and accountability for leadership. Many felt that ALU was stumbling and did not have a credible plan to bring Amazon to the negotiating table.

    Those of us who still believed that ALU could be a positive force for good in our warehouse formed the Democratic Reform Caucus. We believe our union should be reformed to be more democratic - meaning that JFK8 workers should have a voice in how our union operates.

    For over a year, hundreds of workers within the ALU Democratic Reform Caucus have been fighting for our union to conduct elections for its leadership roles so JFK8 workers could have a say in who leads their union, as required by law. We first circulated a petition signed by over 800 JFK8 workers calling for elections, then brought the matter to court with over 100 JFK8 workers as plaintiffs. The matter was finally settled, resulting in a framework for ALU’s leadership elections!

  • Even with few resources, our caucus has never stopped fighting for our JFK8 coworkers. In the last year, we have:

    Helped fired workers get reinstated and disciplinary action removed.

    Helped pregnant and disabled workers get urgent accommodations.

    Fought for and won the reinstatement of the appeals panel.

    Supported women in the workplace
    who were victims of sexual harassment.

    Coordinated with local charities to provide groceries, blankets,
    school supplies, and other essential items to workers.

    Organized prime day and peak walkouts demanding higher pay, which led to the introduction of $10 an hour surge pay.

    Organized numerous marches on the main office to fight for workplace improvements.

    Successfully fought for these leadership elections!

  • Since our NLRB election win, Amazon has stalled negotiations through the legal system. It’s the standard playbook for big corporations when they lose. Waiting for the courts to sort things out won’t get us a contract for years, let alone a good one. We need to organize

    OUR UNION HAS NOW AFFILIATED WITH TEHINTERNATIONAL BROOTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS! This is a huge step forward for our union. Our caucus was part of negotiating an affiliate agreement with the Teamsters, one of the largest and strongest unions i the country. We are now united with over 1.3 million workers in the logistics industry and finally have the resources to take the fight to Amazon nationally!

    If we look to the recent union victories at Starbucks, UPS, or the automakers, those unions didn’t rely on lawyers or the federal government to win. They organized collective action inside the workplace to create pressure. That, and a robust national campaign which brings other Amazon warehouses like JFK8 into our network, is the key to getting Amazon to the negotiation table.

Our Goals

  • Immediately, our union needs to reorganize to stop Amazon from brazenly changing policy, committing mass write-ups and firings, and discriminating against protected classes of workers. We must:

    End forced cross-training and department transfers.

    End mass retaliation for headphone and cell phone use (which is allowed in other warehouses).

    End discrimination against pregnant and disabled workers and fix the broken accommodations process.

  • As part of the fight for a strong contract, our union must survey contract demands from all JFK8 workers. However it’s imperative we always fight for:

    A living wage and an end to 3 year pay caps.

    More paid time off

    An end to mandatory overtime.

    Job security, representation in disciplinary meetings, and an end to unjust firings.

  • EXPANDED LEADERSHIP ROLES
    Right now, there are four officer roles, and that is too small for a workforce as large as 8,000 people. Our union’s executive board should be expanded to include 20-30 JFK8 workers.

    FINANCIAL TRANSPARENCY
    All of ALU’s resources are collectively owned by JFK8 workers. Budgets must be voted on and approved, monthly financial statements must be provided to the members, and we must have an external firm conduct financial audits quarterly.

    STRONG PRESENCE AND PROFESSIONALISM
    We must create a system of stewards that is active inside the warehouse to protect workers and relay information. Leadership especially must be present and accountable to JFK8 workers..