he is joining us from staten island.lizabeth, new jersey, is derrick palmer, vice president of organizing for the amazon labor union and employee at the amazon jfk8 warehouse in staten island. and in brooklyn, josefa velÁsquez is a senior reporter for the city, a nonprofit online news site based in new york city. her latest piece is headlined "a cinderella story: how staten island amazon workers won against the multi-billion-dollar company." we welcome all of you to democracy now! christian smalls, why don't we begin with you. can you respond to this victory and what it took to get here and specifically, organizing at the same time your own union, the amazon labor union? >> good morning. thank you for having me. wow. every time i hear or see the videos, i still take -- it takes a lot out of me because it is unbelievable what we accomplished. we started 11 months ago. grassroots, worker-let movement post of amazon workers, former and current like myself, just trying to do the right thing. no rources, no major backing, jus

we brought you on because of events about the unionization efforts at that one place in staten island, talk about what happened and why is it important when it comes to the labor movement? guest: i started out as "the new york times" labor reporter in 1995 and has been writing down -- writing about labor issues. the victory of the union of staten island is by my mind the biggest and most important beat the odds david versus goliath win for a union in many decades, going way back before i began. why is it so big? because it is 8300 workers which is quite big, second amazon, if there is any company that people thought could not be unionized it was amazon because it is so ferociously antiunion, it is like it is the only company that puts antiunion posters and bathroom stalls so that while you are sitting on the can you have to read amazon's antiunion propaganda. and amazon is one of the leading corporations in image, substance, and importance. and jeff bezos is one of the nation's top business executives, so for a union to beat amazon at such a huge facility when amazon was dealing with

it all started here in staten island, new york.here were many setbacks and a whole different effort to unionize an amazon warehouse down in alabama. >> efforts to unionize an amazon warehouse in alabama are officially over for now, after workers at a facility in bessemer voted know. >> less than 16% of the employees at that facility voted to join the union. >> yet another vote failing to bring amazon's first union to alabama. >> this is actually the second attempt, as workers with assistance from the national labor relations board tried, but failed around this time last year. >> that's one of several efforts that's been thwarted. labor organizers in alabama lost another vote to go at amazon this week. there is a recount, we should note. and it's not by accident. it's nothing like an even debate or fight over whether people want to unionize. no, this is a place where bezos and amazon pour millions of dollars to affect what workers hear about, whether they know what the real truth and rights are, because all of that spending designed

and i think you can see that really clearly in this story at staten island.reated like machines. >> in what ways are these workforces and these unions different from the old union factory efforts? >> what's different i think is the zeitgeist that especially young workers who lived through a lot of turmoil, they have these high expectations for what their work life is about to be about, and then they can't afford the rent. they may have a lot of student debt, they end up living with their parents. this is not what they were promised. the pandemic also createsed a labor shortage which gave people more leverage and less fearful of organizing. unions are cool again for this generation. >> reporter: for many of the workers at jfk-8, chris smalls is definitely cool. one of them drove by during our interview and expressed his own thoughts on the unionization efforts. >> [ bleep ]. >> reporter: what did he say? >> i won't say that word. i guess he is pro union. >> that was david pogue reporting. >>> if you have young children, you're probably well aware that the nati

i think there was an amazon spokesperson quoted over the weekend saying that in staten island it's 1723 they also have health benefits and tuition reimbursement. so, you know, where this ends and how long this takes really nobody knows i don't think it's a fore gone conclusion that may have a fully unionized labor force at amazon based on this information from last week. >> okay. so, based on is that, you're thinking that amazon doesn't have to dramatically change its approach to the labor force, it sounds like you're saying? and also, do you think that this labor movement, which is happening beyond just amazon is going to raise the cost of its competitors as well? >> i think there may be some concessions amazon makes over time i think that relative to peers, for similar jobs, that the compensation that's offered by amazon is quite comparable so you know, the beauty of a private company and its employees is you always have the option to work elsewhere as well >> scott, some of your peers on the street taking a crack at each 1% of front line labor force that unionizes and what that wou

. >> happening now, john, a second day of vote counting at amazon staten island. union has the lead, i should say a strong lead to the moment and this is a somewhat ex ever u -- unexpected development with the 2-1 ratio in alabama they just opened the last box of ballots. we could get the results any minute we'll watch that closely in addition to staten island, we have a redo of last year's rejected union vote at the alabama facility the results were too close to call and that itself is a big improvement for the union. organizers will get finer results on the coming weeks. what started as a small movement at one warehouse is gainin traction across two states and may be time for investors to start paying attention the drives are more about wages and, working conditions at stake here amazon's efficiency ceo's ability to pivot the vast operations, his legacy amazon has under performed the big tech over the last year and guys, investors haven't been too worried about these union votes, especially because as i mentioned, last year they didn't go anywhere but this is re

nevertheless this trend is picking up steam in staten island, new york. we will keep watching.e are watching what is going on with disney. it has gone didn't do -- too work for its own good and governor desantis saying you enjoyed special status that you don't deserve. ashley webster in the middle of this, they call it the happiest place on earth but i don't know if it is happy these days. ashley: not today. good afternoon to you but we will get into this. the heat between governor ron desantis and disney is heating up more and more, on sex education, from third grade to kindergarten. republican lawmakers in the state are saying, pushing your way into politics, we will look at repealing a law that was signed or an agreement signed 55 years ago that gives disney the right to have its own government here, its own kingdom if you like a republican lawmaker in florida sent out a tweet to that note, if seems fitting they should be regulated by orange county. orange county would be the regulator. it is a blue county. as for the governor, he senses disney is dishonest and hypocritical.

staff at the site in staten island in new york started to campaign for a union two years ago.

in staten island, the victory is by four the biggest david versus goliath when for any union in many decades, going back way before i began. host: why is it so big? one, it is so big, second, amazon, if there was any country in the nation that people thought cannot be unionized it is amazon. it is fiercely, ferociously antiunion. it is the only company i have heard of that puts antiunion posters in bathroom stalls so when you are sitting on the can, you have to read amazon's antiunion propaganda. amazon is one of the leading corporations in image and importance today. jeff bezos is one of the nation's best known business executive. for a union to be amazon, such a huge facility, that is a big deal. it sends signals to workers and executives across the nation. you might feel you are wonderful to -- you margaret -- amazon is a tough nut to crack and if workers can unionize amazon, we could unionize our work waste, too. to my mind, taking the amazon victory and across the nation, this is one of the most exciting moments for labor unions and workers in decades. it is a lot going on. you

our derrick guest palmer is vice president of the labor union in staten island. he joins me now.ou guys are celebrating. i know you are nice enough to take some time to talk to us tonight. first of all, how are you feeling? >> i am feeling excited. it's one of the greatest moments in my life, honestly. >> how did -- if he will say how did this happen, people of tried, amazon fought tooth and nail, they spent $4 million, i think in trying to make this not happen. what's the key to success here? >> well, i would say our direct approach that we had with workers. we are amazon workers, organizing other amazon workers. so, we understand their struggles. we could relate to each others. so, i think that is what made it successful. >> yeah. and when you say that, i just want to put a fine point on this. usually, the way this happens is that a union that exists will send professional organizers to help workers inside a place figure out how to get a union. it's a difficult process. that was not the case here. this was entirely grassroots, entirely organic. you and christian smalls and a bu

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. >>> bernie sanders and alexandria ocasio cortez visited staten island to meet with amazon workers who organize the first union in the country at an amazon facility. >> jeff bezos, amazon, everybody, we recognize the fact that they did this thing and they won the union election fair and square and we have the first unionized amazon right here in america right here in new york city. >> the second election is set to begin in new york tomorrow and in a few hours amazon employees at a staten island sortie facility will cast votes on whether or not to organize and amazon is trying to overturn the first union action arguing the vote was tainted by organizers. >>> tomorrow, oakland unified will be updating their masking policies and indoor masks will be strongly recommended at schools and facilities. the district said the move comes as numbers have stayed relatively low following spring break and they urge all students and staff to continue to mask indoors. >>> a motorcyclist has a died after crashing into a telephone pole and police say the crash happened early this morning after they tried

workers at a amazon warehouse in staten island will unionize, the first in the u.s. in amazon's 27 years >> today we made history. >> reporter: of the 4,800 ballots more than 2,600 were in favor of joining the amazon union formed by current and former employees led by christian smalls >> this moment is kind a revolution >> reporter: the company fired smalls in 2020 citing safety issues after he helped organize a walkout over what he says were insufficient covid precautions. what does this moment mean for you >> this moment means everything this means to these workers it's possible if the odds are too big, and they all should definitely take a good look at what we did. >> reporter: amazon said it was disappointed with the outcome of the election in staten island adding, we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees. last year the vote to unionize at an amazon warehouse in alabama failed, but a redo was ordered. and the results which are being counted this week are still unclear. the pandemic fueled a labor movement at many big chai

just a quick follow-up on the staten island vote. it's obviously a big moment for the labor movement in the country. the first union at amazon. has the president had a chance to speak to labor leaders or be planning to issue a statement to kind of talk about it at all? jen: i don't have anything planned, to preview for you in terms of an official statement. i'm speaking, of course, on his behalf. as you know, the president has been a long time supporter of the right to organize, the right to -- for workers to organize and plan for better jobs and a better life. and certainly, my comments reflect that. go ahead. reporter: a quick follow-up. comments from a senior treasury office official this morning that said the sanctions -- [indiscernible] pushing russia to close the economy. that is presuming china and others aren't making some of the materials they get from the west available to them. has the administration noted any sort of change in stance when it comes to china, you know, and russia? or is there any evidence that they're provi

might not end in staten island. the winds of change may be blowing for amazon, yeah. it's this facility here. you can see some of the organizers. this facility voting as we speak on whether or not to bring a union in to this building. across the street, maybe you see a bigger building. that's where the movement started. the folks that work there have already voted the union in. good news, yeah, for the labor movement. not so much as you report for the company or perhaps for the folks that buy amazon stuff. take a listen. >> increased unionization will be bad news for consumers that are already struggling with the record inflation. the impact of unions is to drive up costs sometimes as much as 20% or 30%. at the same time, they also reduce workers output. >> you know, neil, this isn't just amazon. it's starbucks as well, verizon, apple. starbucks, news today that the 41st starbucks, the one that you sear here in new york city on astor place just voted the union in, 11-2 was the vote there. the folks at starbucks, the

by voting in the union, staten island workers stand to disrupt amazon's current labor model which is the backbone of its prime two-day shipping promise. >>> want to take a live look for you right now. this is at palisades tahoe ski resort. no joke here, this is april 1st. it is only a matter of time before ski season starts to melt away. so at the top of the hour, state water leaders began conducting the second to last sierra snow survey of the season. everyone bracing for meager numbers due to the historically dry season and as we wait, things are already heating up there. meteorologist car kari hall hasn talking about that. >> when you look at the numbers for the northern sierra, 28% of the normal amount. and this kind of takes into account that it is april. and that we have such low sierra snow. the statewide average is about 38% of the normal amount. that's what we expect for them to say as we've seen the driest conditions, the lowest snow pack we've had in the sierra in about the last 70 years. this is historic what we're seeing right now. as we take a live look outside, more su

. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ >> amazon workers in staten island, new voted to unionize announcing today more than 2600 workers voted in favor of the union. according to the natiodal labor relations board, which oversees the process. 55% voted in favor of creating a union. the amazon fulfillment center in staten island would become the first in the nation if it were to successfully form a union. it will stop buddy was high-flying watching. the countdown, 3. and it was exciting changes. we'll see what >> in a statement, amazon said it was disappointed by the election by the vote. the company is now evaluating how to proceed. accuse the national labor relations board of inappropriately influencing the voting process. >> still ahead, giants opening day is next weekend. what to expect from walking into we're days away from the start of major league baseball season. and here in san francisco, giants are hoping for a return to normal after. >> 2 years of disruptions caused by this pandemic dine and dish. look at that. yeah. the teen showing off some new eats at the ballpark an

and history making moment in amazon a staten island warehouse voted to bring a union to the tech giant, impact for amazon. minutes away first we start with jpmorgan mixing apple from its focus list setting slow downs in consumer spending an the economy, apple closing lower for the third day in a row next telling employees to be careful. netflix did recoup much of the losses and morningstar, ark innovation to a negative but down 30% this year so are these headlines warning signs of a tech slow down? this as we approach earnings season just weeks away, grasso, what do you say? >> i think apple, whenever someone makes a comment about apple they want to be provocative. apple is the safest bet in an unsafe world so when you want to be in the market but you fear that the end of the world is coming, you probably -- people are going to go into their coffins holding apple. right. they'll be in a pine box and there's going to be apple stock certificate on their chest. i wouldn't agree with that one. ark we said before, this is massively high multiple names that maybe the end is coming for them.

what does this achievement mean not just for amazon workers in staten island but american workers acrossalyst for a revolution for the working class, you know. i'm a worker, even though i'm still unemployed, and i was able to lead us over here in new york. you know, my story and the workers that organized this campaign, all of our stories, it shows people that when people do come together, ordinary people come together, we can achieve anything. >> you made sure, chris, to thank jeff bezos for his help by saying that while he was in space, you were getting out signatures. founding a union is not an easy task, let alone going up against a giant like amazon. how did you manage to pull this victory off? >> once again, i was hired in 2015 entry level. i worked hard, got promoted up to a process assistant. i just think that this company didn't realize how much i was invested into them. i opened up three buildings in the tri-state, trained thousands of employees, trained upper management. i was a good employee. everybody respected me, everybody loved me. when i got terminated, what motivated me

earlier this month another staten island facility became the first amazon warehouse in the u.s.d twitter may be coming closer to an agreement. twitter's 11-member board met to discuss the tesla billionaire's proposal to buy the social media joint. -- giant. last week musk announced he had lined up $46.5 billion in financing his bid for twitter. he has said twitter needs to be taken private to become a genuine platform for free speech. >>> and here's a chance for someone to cash in on their love for tacos. food delivery company faber is looking to hire a chief taco officer. the officer will be expected to drive across texas during june and july in search of the best tacos in the state and share their findings on social media. the job comes with a $10,000 salary, free food, accommodations, and transportation. this story made me laugh this morning because i was in texas a week ago, and we had tacos twice. so there are many, many taco options. they were all amazing, and they do it well there. they have all different flavors and toppings. this is a big job. >> it says you need to be

the top of the champagne amazon workers are on new york's staten island celebrating this week's votetallies accomplish that any support from national label organizations by the way. against big business per serving too much power to the detriment of the workers who help bring in the prophets. >> this is a chance i think for us to tell the billionaires and their megacorporations we are not going to stand taking our labor were not going to stand for them taking our work for not going to stand for them to take our voice. >> we went for the top dogs whip it every other industry names have changed. >> amazon had been quickly expanding its distribution network over the last decade fulfillment centers near large population centers for faster delivery. union organizers say amazon has had high turn over and workers complaining of conditions which the company has ignored. in a business a blog amazon said was disappointed with the outcome of the election it staten island because we believe having a direct relationship with the company is best for our employees. industry insiders say amazon will

amazon workers at a facility on staten island have voted to form a union.er the results, organizers popped the cork on a bottle of champagne. amazon is the nation's second largest private employer, and the staten island fulfillment center is its first in the u.s. to unionize. the company said they are disappointed and they may file objections. >>> when we come back here tonight, former u.s. soccer star hope solo arrested, accused of alleged drunk driving, assisting arrest, and child endangerment. if you have advanced non-small cell lung cancer, your first treatment could be a chemo-free combination of two immunotherapies that works differently. it could mean a chance to live longer. opdivo plus yervoy is for adults newly diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread, tests positive for pd-l1, and does not have an abnormal egfr or alk gene. together, opdivo plus yervoy helps your immune system launch a response that fights cancer in two different ways. opdivo plus yervoy equals a chance for more time together. more family time. more time to remem

the effort in staten island originally stemmed from disputes over covid safety rules two years ago andses in the country. the bbc�*s business correspondent michelle fleury was there for the result. cheering. history in the making for american workers. this, the moment union organisers celebrated. to the first union in american history. cheering. after amazon workers in new york voted to unionise — the first successful attempt since the retail giant was founded in 1994. this will be the catalyst for the revolution. that's exactly what this is, y'all just witnessed that. an independent group just took on one of the world's biggest companies and won. 55% of workers at this staten island warehouse voted in favour of union of a union. chris smalls, the fired amazon worker leading the fight, had this message for the e—commerce giant. they'll have to negotiate with their workers now. you know, my message is that now we have a union they'll have to collectively bargain with. this victory all the sweeter, after a second vote on a union in alabama appears headed for defeat. how does it feel to h

next, amazon workers on new york's staten island just made history.about that after the break. e break. that oddly satisfying feeling when you don't do it yourself. are you taking a statin drug to reduce cholesterol? it can also deplete your coq10 levels. i recommend considering qunol coq10 along with your statin medication. the brand i trust is qunol. i want to introduce you to chris smalls. back in 2020 when the pandemic sector first hit new york, chris smalls was working at an amazon warehouse on staten island. there is him on your screen. many of his coworkers started testing positive for the coronavirus. they were being forced by amazon to come into work. chris smalls, trying to bring his concerns about that to his supervisors, but he says he was ignored. so, he took matters into his own hands and organized a company walkout. he was fired from amazon a few days later for the company said it was an unrelated incident. that is actually where chris's story really begins. after he was fired, after he was let go by the company, he formed that amazon l

joining me now from staten island is nbc news correspondent antonia hilton.ere has been a lot of excitement, nervousness and anticipation over the last several hours. throughout the day, employees who are coming in and out have been meeting and talking, taking bets on who will emerge victorious from this vote. there have been people driving through and honking to give support. and people eating, and socializing, kind of soak in this moment. this has been two years in the making, though it's coming on the heels of this historic moment a couple weeks ago. in 2020, former and current employees were starting to talk about their complaints and concerns about what was happening on the job during the height of the pandemic. those organic colleague conversations built into a movement that brought us to this point. now the question that's facing them and also facing amazon executives is, was that vote from the other week a fluke or is it representative of a new labor movement and of the future? take a look at the conversations we have had with workers here. >> i'm aga

. >> now to a landmark win for organized labor, amazon workers on staten island in new york voting tolebrated yesterday, popping champagne. one organizer, christian smalls, even thanking amazon's billionaire founder. >> let's go. you know liberty mutual customizes your car insurance, so you only pay for what you need? oh, like how i customized this scarf? wow, first time? check out this backpack i made for marco. oh yeah? well, check out this tux. oh, nice. that'll go perfect with these. dude... those are so fire. [whines] only pay for what you need. ♪liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty.♪ ♪ ♪ we believe there's an innovator in all of us. ♪ that's why we build technology that makes it possible for every business... and every person... to come to the table and do more incredible things. >>> now again to a landmark win for organized labor. amazon workers on staten island in new york voting to unionize, becoming the first warehouse in the company to do so. employees celebrated yesterday, popping champagne. one organizer, christian smalls, even, as i said a moment ago, thanking amazon's bil

amazon workers on new york's staten island celebrated this week's vote to unionize., by the way. it's seen as a referendum against big business for usurping too much power to the detriment of the workers who help bring in the profits. >> this is a chance for us to tell the billionaires and their mega-corporations that we are not going to stand for them taking our labor, we're not going to stand for them taking our worth and taking our voice. >> we went for the jugular, and we went for the top dog because we want every other industry, every other business to know that things have changed. >> reporter: the union once wielded incredible power regulating work hours, wages and conditions, but later a government labor law slanted the need for unions. amazon has been quickly expanding its distribution network over the decade putting its nearly 1 million square foot fulfillment centers near large population centers for faster delivery. union organizers say amazon has had high turnover and workers complaining of conditions that the company has ignored n. a statement on its bu

let me bring in antonia hilton who is live from staten island. what is turnout like?you have seen today. >> reporter: hey, hallie. what you are seeing behind me is a station on the way into work where union organizers are giving out snacks and information to colleagues who are coming in and out of shifts right now. there's a lot of excitement and anticipation on the ground. people have been talking about what they would like to see changed in the workplace, what problems they have encountered in these different warehouses here. and this is all really built up over the last two years. even though it feels like a moment that's coming on the heels oh of the historic vote from a couple weeks ago. about two years ago, former and current employees of amazon got talking with each other about the conditions, the covid protocols that they were seeing and the failures they were experiencing from management during the height of the pandemic. and they wanted a seat at the table. they wanted more of a say in how the operations are run here. so on the heels of these two years of pe

— because they never believed that a union would be the best for its employees, whether it be staten island taking issue with the regulatory body that oversees these kinds of elections, saying there was a lot more influenced by them then there should have been. tell a lot more influenced by them then there should have been.— there should have been. tell us more about some — there should have been. tell us more about some of _ there should have been. tell us more about some of that _ there should have been. tell us more about some of that pushed _ there should have been. tell us more about some of that pushed towards i about some of that pushed towards unionis? because not all the workers voted for the union. that's absolutely right, of all the members that voted, the people who voted in favour of the vote, they outnumbered them by some 5—600 votes. so there are people who definitely didn't want to have the union. but yes, amazon and other votes that have happened in other places have been unsuccessful. bud happened in other places have been unsuccessful.— unsuccessful. and in this one, you

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plus here at home a big development involving amazon workers o'in staten island voting to become the country's first unionized warehouse in the country. we're live with more on what that means. and a landmark vote on capitol hill with the house today voting to legalize cannabis across the country. coming up, more on what's actually in the bill and what its chances are in the senate. i'm hallie jackson in washington with you this afternoon along with our nbc news team. ali arouzi is live for us in ukraine. shannon pettypiece is covering the white house. we're also joined by helene cooper, "new york times" pentagon correspondent and msnbc political contributor, and by michael mcfaul, former ambassador to russia and msnbc international affairs analyst. ali, let me start with you and what we're learning about this oil depot attack in russia because there's a couple of different developments today. the resumption of peace talks and then this convoy, right? that was denied access to hard-hit mariupol, which has been sieged now for weeks. >> that's right, hallie. and the russians are saying

if you work in new york and go to staten island, your commute is two and a half, three hours.ommute. i used to tell the new hires if you have a gym membership, you might want to cancel it. you work 10 hours, 30-minute lunch, you're doing calisthenics all day. >> trevor: when you're in the warehouse, what is the thing you're fighting about the most? people hear the fight against amazon and they think wages and time out, and the way people are treated within the warehouse. obviously, everybody wants a better workplace all together but when you looked at the hierarchy of needs, and as you came down the pyramid, what were you looking to get. >> amazon is ran completely off of metrics. there was no human aspect. you get fired by email or an app. >> trevor: are you serious? >> yes. >> people didn't have an insurrection. they didn't know their managers. and there was a system in place to hire and fire. and that was before covid when i realized this is a system that's not only in place to fire people but it was also disiment tore. applied to be a manager, a salaried manager 50 times i

staten island higher in terms of union membership. you had a group with chris smalls and his colleagues that employed the kind of community activist playbook in terms of using social media and getting arrested, a very innovative playbook, and also speaking as former amazon employee, so that had something to do with it. she is right. there are important symbolic victories here for a labor movement, an organized labor movement that has been losing ground over the past few decades in terms of the sheer number of union members, but i think it is too soon to say that the tide is turning. amazon has this immune system response to unions in its supply chain and it fights them tooth and nail. i think workers at other fulfillment centers will be watching and waiting to see if chris smalls and his colleagues can convert today's important and symbolic victory into meaningful change for amazon workers. emily: we are looking at chris smalls popping a bottle of champagne on the back of this vote. do we need a character like that if other pushes for

and that's why last year she vowed to stand alongside at amazone,kers staten island warehouse. >> ande're for f that because they need help. e but at the last minute, citicorp has bailed on the whole thing and thatga infuriated labor organizers who just want a big vote tond unionize the staten island facility. now amazon is stepping up its efforts to crush the union. amazon has just banned wordsn. like union" employee chat app kristen smalls is a union leader at amazon and we're happy to have you join us now. kristen, thanks so much for coming on . so were you surprisedpr that sandy caught alexandra cortez who has said repeatedly that she's on the side of the worker's against the corporation, wasn't standing with you at the barricades? yeah,wa i mean, you know, it. wasn't just her . it was all of them pretty much. you know, it's not fair. you know, i don't want her to make a decision between us in aoc because, you know, a lot of them didn't show up and oncell again, we have no ill will against them. we know that whether they shoulder to shoulder or not, they didn't make or break our e

. >>> and later, why staten island may be the beginning amazon warehouse union fight it is happening on this busy tuesday, april 19th. this is "worldwide exchange. >>> good morning, good afternoon or good evening as always. welcome from wherever in the world you may be watching. i'm brian sullivan thanks for joining us on this tuesday morning where the weather is just -- merry christmas, everybody it's 41 and rain let's kickoff the hour with the check on the markets and money and soee if they are looking sunnier. stock futures mixed right now. dow up a touch nasdaq futures turning negative. ukraine saying russia entered what they call phase two of the war. that is setting its sights are permanently taking donbas region of the nation. in the meantime, bonds are selling off and yields are going up 10-year yield is back to 3%. it is under 2.9% the oil market with crude at $107 a barrel and change there are concerns now about a dropoff of supply in libya after more irssues there. 300,000 barrels a day at risk. in a market this tight, everything matters libya is a place to watch. we are s

amazon saying it is disappointing -- disappointed with the outcome in staten island.t is evaluating options including following -- filing objections. we're going to take a quick break. jobs in the u.s. restaurant industry have made great progress, but still well below pre-pandemic levels. we're going to get analysis. a board member of the independent restaurant coalition. this is bloomberg. ♪ jon: this is bloomberg markets. we were talking earlier about the jobs picture and our guest talked about the leisure and hospitality sector which got a nice boost. we note this is still a sector that is largely struggling. there's a long way to go back to where we were before the pandemic in terms of jobs, the unemployment rate still higher than the national average. we keep talking about inflation, the wages are reality for any restaurant owner. people need to get paid more. more perspective. tyler aiken is a partner at a restaurant in delaware. he is also the owner of the independent restaurant coalition. on the one hand, i'm sure you are feeling excited about the fact we're g

we brought you on because of events about the unionization efforts at that one place in staten islandut what happened and why is it important when it comes to the labor movement? guest: i started out as "the new york times" labor reporter in 1995 and has been writing down -- writing about labor issues. the victory of the union of staten island is by my mind the biggest and most important beat the odds david versus goliath win for a union in many decades, going way back before i began. why is it so big? because it is 8300 workers which is quite big, second amazon, if there is any company that people thought could not be unionized it was amazon because it is so ferociously antiunion, it is like it is the only company that puts antiunion posters and bathroom stalls so that while you are sitting on the can you have to read amazon's antiunion propaganda. and amazon is one of the leading corporations in image, substance, and importance. and jeff bezos is one of the nation's top business executives, so for a union to beat amazon at such a huge facility when amazon was dealing with a full-cou

. >>> today, senator bernie sanders and congresswoman alexandria ocasio cortez visited staten island to meet with the first amazon workers who organize the first union in the country at an amazon facility. >> you doing business in new york if the treat people right. >> this whole thing is about working people standing up. >> on the heels of that historic union victory, a second amazon union election is set to begin in new york tomorrow. >>> in a few hours, hundreds of employees at a staten island sorting facility will cast their votes in order to see if they should organize with that union and it was started by a group of current and former amazon warehouse workers in that area. amazon is seeking to overturn the first union election arguing the vote was tainted by organizers. >>> the lifting of mask mandates is leading to some tension among rideshare drivers and passengers who are not required anymore to mask up. we have that story. >> reporter: like on airplanes and buses and trains, masks are no longer required in taxicabs, goobers and lyft's. while passengers spent minimal time wi

this staten island warehouse facility of amazon that voted to unionize. generous. benefits very generous. got me thinking about starbucks a couple of shops that have also gone to unions in the face of hourly wages that are well north of $20 and benefits that are extremely generous. google experiencing this as well. a push to unionize the spectacle divisions even in the face of benefits and despite all of that, that are second to none in the technology world. what do you think is going on here? on the surface, obviously, you think all right, these are very generous and well--paying environments but apparently not enough. are we missing something here? >> it is interesting, the event you're talking about. here's a disgruntled employee that went to fund men and started amazon labor union. it's an jump-start union. it's not a traditional uaw -- uae, et cetera. >> neil: you have a couple thousand people to agree with them. >> yeah. >> neil: couldn't bad forced on them. what is that? >> that's about 59% of the 8,000 employees that could have voted, neil. so you

amy: after a david and goliath battle, amazon warehouse workers in staten island, new york, vote of formirst amazon union u.s. history, overcoming a multimillion dollar unionbusting campaign by the reta g

amy: after a david and goliath battle, amazon warehouse workers in staten island, new york, vote of formzon union u.s. history, overcoming a multimillion dollar unionbusting campaign by the retaia

amazon workers at a warehouse on new york's staten island overwhelmingly voted in favor of forming ain the company's history. amazon is an ancient second largest private employer. lori greene has that story. >> it is a modern-day david and goliath story, the behemoth of amazon for the moment by employees movement. the campaign from amazon workers on staten island celebrated this week's unionized landmark tally without any support in the organization is a referendum against big business usurping too much power to those who helped bring in the prophets. >> is a chance to tell the billionaires and megacorporations we will not stand for them taking on labor taking our force and we will not stand for them taking our voice we went for the jugular top dogs we want every business to know. >> units in the u.s. once had incredible power helping workers stand up to companies and regulate wages and conditions but later government said there was no need for unions and the number of workers today is just above 10%. amazon has the distribution network over the last decade 1 million square foot fulf

. >> we now have allison barber from the staten island ferry where masks are still required. of the confusing things. other cities, other states, train cyst isms say no. >> reporter: it's confusing and the rules are different in new york city if you're taking an amtrak verse as subway. we're on the staten island ferry right now and on the ferry masks are still required, whether you're on the deck or inside the ferry itself. when you look through here, you see a 50/50% of people wearing masks and not wearing masks. there's still markers on the seats for social distancinging covid requirements. we've been trying to takes a many different public transportation options a we can to get a a sense of what people think and what they are depending where you are. and we keep hearing they're a bit confused. you have to wear a face mask when you're on new york ferries, if you're on the bus, if you're on new york city subways but not if you're taking an amtrak train. you don't have to take one on new jersey transit. but in theory when you get to penn station, you have to wear a mask. la g

we're live on staten island where union organizers hope to keep the momentutum going and a big vote tomorrowught it to safelite. we repeplaced the windshield and recalilibrated their car's advanced safety system, so features like automatic emergency braking will work properly. >> tech: alright, all finished. >> dad: wow, that's great. thanks. >> tech: stay safe with safelite. schedule now. >> singers: ♪ safelite repair, safelite replace. ♪ way day, wayfair's biggest sale of the year is bigger than ever! for two days only, april 27th and 28th, get the lowest prices on thousands of items for your home. shop outdoor furniture up to 65% off... rugs up to 80% off... and lighting up to 65% off... plus, get bonus savings with a wayfair credit card and free shipping on everything! shop way day, our biggest sale of the year. happening april 27th and 28th at wayfair.com. ♪ wayfair you've got just what i need ♪ >>> a story from modern times. goliath is amazon and a lay your union that won a victory earlier this month. congressional allies bernie sanders and alexandria ocasio-cortez showing their sport