Amazon Labor Union, Model Alliance to rally in NYC

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Sep 4, 2022

The Model Alliance announced on Friday that it will once again join forces with Amazon Labor Union president Chris Smalls for a rally in Times Square. 

Ahead of New York Fashion Week, which generates close to $600 million annually, the rally will highlight the Fashion Workers Act — a piece of pro-labor legislation that would regulate predatory management agencies that currently operate without oversight.

In particular, the legislation aims to regulate management agencies and to provide labor protection for models and other fashion creatives who lack basic protection in the state. 

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"It's unacceptable that the creative workforce behind the $2.5 trillion global fashion industry still lacks basic protections in the State that gave birth to the American labor movement,” said Sara Ziff, founder and executive director of the Model Alliance.

“New York derives huge benefit off the backs of young women and girls indentured to predatory management agencies. And it's not only models who experience these injustices – makeup artists, hairstylists and others who work behind-the-scenes also lack basic protections. We're glad to have the support of Chris Smalls – a once in a generation leader who has taken on seemingly unslayable monsters – as we organize our industry to fight for the rights of all fashion workers.”

The announcement comes as Federal labor regulators announced that they will throw out Amazon’s objections to stop workers from unionizing at a warehouse in New York City. 

Back in April, workers at the JFK8 fulfillment center in Staten Island voted to join the Amazon Labor Union, however Amazon went on to file several objections to the election. The organization is led by Smalls. Still, Amazon continues to object the union's victory.

“It is our hope that the Regional Director for Region 28 can expedite our certification and that the NLRB enforces Amazon’s legal obligation to negotiate with the workers of the ALU,” the union said in a release posted to Twitter.

Next, the union said that workers at an Amazon facility near Albany have gathered enough signatures to petition the National Labor Relations Board for their own election.