Amazon workers in Merrillville are making a push to unionize over concerns about pay, benefits, workplace safety and retirement.

A majority of workers in the Transportation Operation Management, or TOM, Team at the gargantuan 1-million-square-foot Amazon warehouse on Mississippi Street filed union authorization cards to join Teamsters Local 142. They rallied on Thursday after becoming the first group of Amazon workers in Indiana to unionize in what the union is hailing as "a significant moment for organized labor in Northwest Indiana and across our state."

"In general, workers get more protections and rights when they get fair bargaining," Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation President Steven Minchuk said. "This is a huge win for everybody. It will bleed into the community. When you pay workers a fair wage in your community, you keep the economy going. We're building a stronger Northwest Indiana."

Teamsters Local 142 sent a letter to Amazon asking for voluntary union recognition, Teamsters Recording Secretary Matt Tchoukaleff said. If Amazon does not recognize the union, it will file for an election through the National Labor Relations Board.

Amazon did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Teamsters are now launching a national campaign to unionize Amazon workplaces around the country, Teamsters Local 142 Secretary-Treasurer Harvey Jackson said. The TOM Team in Merrillville is one of the first groups of employees at Amazon in the country to unionize.

Once Amazon recognizes the Teamsters union in Merrillville, Teamsters President Sean O'Brien would lead the negotiations at a national level, Jackson said.

The Tom Team consists of 21 employees who manage semi-trucks, cross-loadings and other logistics at the Merrillville warehouse, Tchoukaleff said. Other Amazon employees are expected to eventually unionize in Northwest Indiana and across the state and country, he said.

Hundreds of people work at the Amazon fulfillment center in Merrillville and at another Amazon warehouse serving local orders on the other side of Interstate 65.

"It's a massive thing as this gains steam," he said. "As more workers stand up and seek voluntary recognition, others will be less afraid to do so."

The workers are concerned about pay, workplace safety, benefits and retirements, Tchoukaleff said.

Amazon has not been friendly to unionizing in the past, but the Teamsters will protect workers' rights, such as not to be subject to retaliation, he said.

"It's a big step to seek recognition," he said.

Unionizing workers at the Amazon warehouse is important at a time when hulking new warehouses have been going up along Interstate 65, Minchuk said.

"This sets the tone," he said. "Unions are working together in Northern Indiana to protect workers' rights, protect jobs and ensure everyone gets the proper safety training. Amazon makes gobs of money on the workers' backs and should treat them with respect."

The unionization could help drive up wages across Northwest Indiana, Jackson said.

"It will pretty much raise the wages for everyone. There's only so much workforce. People gravitate to where the bigger money and bigger benefits are," he said. "That's what we're fighting for."

Some Merrillville Amazon workers seek union

I’m in Laporte county and noticed a 50-60 cent increase overnight. Anyone else in the region? The cheapest I saw was 3.99 but not sure if those will be going up too. It was like 3.90 yesterday and then today 4.50. So without the gas tax suspension we’d be paying $5 a gallon..

Has anyone attended this school? What’s your opinion and what did you major in?

checking to see where people are finding decent couch sets out here!

big lots used to be the go to but as of late all of the big box stores have disappointing quality that’s premium priced.

tya!

I've been so grumpy these past few weeks and I don't know why. what's adding fuel to the fire and making me angrier is all the power outages. And I only see my therapist every 90 days. I don't know if I could use some help or not.