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| Chris Smalls | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chris Smalls |
| Birth date | 1988/1989 |
| Birth place | The Bronx, New York City, New York, United States |
| Occupation | Labor organizer |
| Known for | Organizing at Amazon Staten Island facility; founding the Amazon Labor Union |
| Years active | 2020–present |
| Organization | Amazon Labor Union |
Chris Smalls
Christopher Smalls is an American labor organizer and former employee of a Staten Island fulfillment center who gained national attention for leading a successful union drive against Amazon and founding the Amazon Labor Union. He is noted for his grassroots organizing tactics, high-profile media presence, and involvement in legal and political debates about labor rights, corporate labor practices, and worker organizing in the United States. Smalls's activities intersect with broader labor movements, progressive politicians, and labor law reform campaigns.
Smalls was born and raised in The Bronx in New York City, later moving to Newark, New Jersey and the Staten Island borough area where he became a warehouse worker. He attended local schools in New York City and entered the workforce in service and retail sectors, gaining experience at employers including Walmart and later Amazon.com fulfillment operations. His background includes exposure to urban labor markets in New York State and interactions with community institutions such as neighborhood churches and local labor centers. Early influences included regional labor activism tied to unions like the Service Employees International Union and the history of organizing in metropolitan New York City.
Smalls worked as an associate at Amazon's JFK8 fulfillment center on Staten Island, part of Amazon's network of fulfillment and sortation facilities across the United States and internationally. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he became a focal point for workplace safety complaints at Amazon sites, referencing protocols related to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and pandemic-era policy debates involving executives at Amazon.com, Inc. and management at regional facilities. His actions and public statements brought him into contact with labor law frameworks administered by the National Labor Relations Board and drew attention from prominent media outlets such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Following disputes over workplace safety, Smalls led a grassroots effort culminating in the formation of an independent union, the Amazon Labor Union, at the JFK8 facility. The ALU organized independently of longstanding labor federations such as the AFL–CIO and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, opting for rank-and-file mobilization similar to historic drives at workplaces represented by unions like the Teamsters and movements inspired by the Industrial Workers of the World. The ALU's campaign drew comparisons to organizing efforts in other industries, including campaigns by the United Auto Workers and public-sector drives in cities like Chicago and Los Angeles.
Smalls's activism expanded beyond workplace bargaining to national debates, bringing him into contact with political figures and movements including Bernie Sanders, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and progressive advocacy groups aligned with labor reform. His public profile was amplified through appearances on television networks such as MSNBC and CNN, and in coverage by outlets like The New Yorker and The Atlantic. Smalls has participated in rallies alongside labor leaders from organizations including the Communications Workers of America and supporter coalitions that include local community groups in Staten Island and labor campaigns in New York City.
Smalls's campaign intersected with legal disputes involving the National Labor Relations Board over alleged employer misconduct and unfair labor practices attributed to Amazon management. His advocacy contributed to broader policy discussions in the United States Congress about labor law reform, including proposals to amend statutes such as the National Labor Relations Act and debates over legislation like the Protecting the Right to Organize Act. Smalls has engaged with legal counsel and labor lawyers, and his organizing efforts have been cited in testimonies before legislative bodies and in reports by labor research organizations such as the Economic Policy Institute.
Smalls has discussed his upbringing in The Bronx and personal motivations for organizing in interviews and documentaries produced by media organizations including Vox, Vice Media, and public broadcasters like NPR. He has been profiled in long-form journalism and featured in documentary segments exploring labor issues at corporations such as Amazon.com, Inc. and corporate labor practices in the Technology industry. Smalls resides in the New York metropolitan area and continues to lead the Amazon Labor Union while engaging with national labor debates and media platforms.
Category:American trade unionists Category:People from Staten Island Category:Living people