ILR Connects with Amazon Labor Union Leaders
Amazon workers led by Christian Smalls and Derrick Palmer made history in 2022 by voting to form a union. As part of ILR’s Union Days series, Smalls and Palmer visited the school in April to share their story of successfully organizing employees at Amazon, the second-largest employer in the world.
“This movement has definitely changed our lives as we were just going to work and going home,” Palmer said. “To [reach] where we are now, it is so powerful knowing that organizing got us here.”
The connection between the ILR School and the two Amazon Labor Union leaders originated with an ILR student. Alejandra Quintero, MILR ’23, first worked with Smalls when coordinating a conference as an intern at Labor Notes. When she then happened to see Smalls on the busy streets of New York City, Quintero pitched the idea that he should visit the ILR School.
“We were fortunate enough to run into some students of ILR, and we stayed in touch through social media,” Smalls said. “They are the ones who really spearheaded the idea of getting us up here.”
Smalls and Palmer, the 2023 ILR labor leaders in residence and the ILR Worker Institute’s Union Days keynote speakers, said their decision to make the trip to Ithaca was to inspire students to become proactive members of the labor community and to show, through their stories, the power of advocating for workers. In this video, they discuss their interest in reaching students, no matter where they’re headed – labor or management.
“It is about inviting people into what is now a revolution of organizing,” Smalls said. “We are preparing students and soon-to-be lawyers. Whether they are going to be on the management side or human resources, we want to connect everybody to let them know that this fight is their fight, as well.”
Labor organizing has gained national attention as workers at corporations such as Starbucks voted to unionize.
“During the pandemic, we realized that we were underappreciated, underpaid and undervalued,” Smalls said. “Labor is now a hot topic of discussion in this country.”
ILR undergraduate and graduate students and Cornell Law School students have been part of the Amazon Labor Union’s efforts to protect labor rights, improve working conditions and represent workers’ interests, Small said.
“The law students have been a big help, doing a lot of pro-bono case studies and working with our legal counsel. We greatly appreciate their help and everything they have done for us,” Smalls said. “Going forward, we want to see more of that. We want students to come to get involved throughout the summer to see what it is like on the ground and what they can do to amplify our message.”
At the ILR school, students have multiple ways of getting involved with organizing and supporting labor unions. For example, Quintero was connected to Labor Notes initially through her work as an Emerson Fellow at the ILR Worker Institute, which provides financial support, including tuition, a stipend and health benefits, for a year.
“Being here has allowed me to be connected to some incredible people within the labor movement who have nourished my understanding of true rank-and-file power,” Quintero said.
Asked how a student interested in organizing and union efforts can get started and explore their interests, Quintero said it is important to find groups that connect with the student’s values.
“Get involved with the practice of advocating for yourself,” Quintero said. “If you have a job, any job where you are an employee, you absolutely should be looking and talking to your co-workers about organizing.”
See a related story about the Union Days keynote by Amazon Labor Union leaders.