Chris Smalls

Christian Smalls (born July 4, 1988) is an American labor organizer and activist known for his role in organizing Amazon workers in Staten Island, a borough in New York City. He is a co-founder and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) (2021–24).

Smalls grew up in New Jersey and pursued a career as a rapper, touring briefly with Meek Mill, but gave this up to support his children by working in the service industry and in warehouses. He was hired by Amazon in 2015.

On March 30, 2020, Smalls organized a walkout to protest what he said was a lack of proper safety protocols around COVID-19 exposures at the Staten Island warehouse he worked at, Amazon JFK8. He was terminated the same day for what the company stated was violating the company's social distancing policies during a required, paid quarantine. Smalls had been exposed to the disease on March 11, 2020, but was not notified or required to quarantine until March 28, after the incubation period had ended. Several government officials criticized the company and demanded the firing be investigated. Smalls and the state of New York also sued Amazon for unlawful termination.

After his termination, Smalls founded a worker-activist group called The Congress of Essential Workers, which later backed the formation of the ALU on April 20, 2021. The JFK8 warehouse voted in favor of unionizing with representation of the ALU on April 1, 2022. He was subsequently named one of Time's most influential people of 2022.

Smalls’ leadership of the ALU was in doubt following two failed NLRB votes, and Smalls did not seek reelection. In July 2024, Smalls was replaced by Connor Spence.

Early life and education Smalls was born and raised in Hackensack, New Jersey, by a single mother who worked as an administrator at a hospital. As a teenager, he began working jobs and played basketball, football, and ran track and field at Hackensack High School. He had hoped to play in the National Basketball Association, until he was run over in a hit and run while working a job as a car attendant. in Florida, touring briefly with Meek Mill. He then gave up his music career pursuit to support his children with a series of jobs, including at Walmart, Home Depot, and MetLife Stadium from 2012 to 2015. Smalls also worked as a warehouse worker at FedEx and Target. in protest of Amazon's safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic and calling the company to temporarily close JFK8. James's investigation found that the company had illegally terminated Smalls, and filed for an injunction that would force Amazon to rehire Smalls.

Bill de Blasio, the Mayor of New York City, and Senator Bernie Sanders referred to the termination as "disgraceful". De Blasio ordered the city's human rights commissioner to investigate Smalls' dismissal and James called on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to investigate the discharge. Nine senators, including Elizabeth Warren, sent a letter to the company demanding more information about Smalls' termination, along with the firings of three other whistleblowers. The country's most prominent union leaders sent a letter to Jeff Bezos, Amazon's chief executive officer, demanding that Smalls be reinstated.

On April 2, 2020, a memo from a daily brief with Bezos was leaked to Vice referring to Smalls as "not smart or articulate". The note came from Amazon's General Counsel, David Zapolsky, who further urged that it would be good public relations to make Smalls "the face of the entire union/organizing movement" and "layout a case" for why Smalls' conduct was "immoral, unacceptable, and arguably illegal". Smalls said that the company was more interested in squashing bad PR than protecting its workers and their families.

2020–present

The Congress of Essential Workers

After his discharge from Amazon in 2020, Smalls founded The Congress of Essential Workers (TCOEW), a labor-activist group.

Amazon Labor Union alt=Two reporters, one with a camera, interview Smalls in front of the NLRB building, where the votes were counted. On April 20, 2021, Smalls established the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), He said that unionizing is important for job security, living wages, paid time off, and medical leave. Smalls said that two of the organizers, current Amazon employees, had been living out of their cars. An Amazon spokesperson said that a union would get in the way of employee bargaining.

In order to gather signatures for a union authorization vote, Smalls set up a tent alongside a public transit stop near JFK8 with a sign that read, "Sign Your Authorization Cards Here". He has accused the company of union busting, including posting anti-union signs in the bathrooms, sending anti-union text messages to workers, surveilling organizing workers, and holding mandatory meetings with anti-union "falsehoods", like that in signing an authorization card "you give up the right to speak for yourself". Smalls also alleged that Amazon is warning its workers of expensive union dues, and harassing and scaring employees. Smalls also tweeted the news. The vote took place in March 2022, the same time as a union vote in another Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama led by worker Jennifer Bates.

Another ALU-backed union vote was announced on March 2, 2022, out of the Staten Island warehouse, LDJ5. The warehouse workers voted against unionizing on May 2, 2022.

On April 1, 2022, the workers at JFK8 voted 2,654–2,131 in favor of the union. Smalls told a crowd that "We did whatever it took to connect with these workers" and "I hope that everybody's paying attention now because a lot of people doubted us."

In May 2022, Smalls met U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House. Biden told him "I like you, you're my kind of trouble" and "let's not stop".

Smalls and Palmer were named two of Time 's 100 most influential people of 2022.

Following the failure of two unionization votes, Smalls’ leadership of the ALU was in doubt, and Smalls did not seek re-election, instead choosing to endorse ALU officer Claudia Ashterman. Ashterman lost to Connor Spence, who was elected ALU president on July 30, 2024.

Smalls attempted to get in to the 2026 Met Gala to protest Jeff Bezos' $10 million donation to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He was charged with trespassing, and obstruction of governmental administration for jumping a police barrier. The charges will be dismissed if he avoids arrest for six months after the Gala.

Smalls and Carvell Wallace released a memoir, titled When the Revolution Comes: A Fight for the Future of the Working Class, in June 2026. On March 15, 2022, a motion to dismiss filed by Amazon was granted, and on March 21, 2022, a notice of appeal was filed by Smalls.

New York v. Amazon, Inc. In February 2021, Attorney General of New York Letitia James sued Amazon for allegedly providing inadequate safety precautions and retaliation against employees who complained, including Smalls. James sought changes in Amazon policies and training, as well as financial compensation for Smalls and the opportunity for him to return to his job at Amazon. The state's lawsuit was dismissed with the court finding the claims were preempted by federal law. The state appealed and Amazon countersued. In 2022 the case was settled with James dropping the appeal and Amazon dropping the countersuit. thumb Smalls (left) crashing the 2026 Met Gala before getting arrested. Actress Heidi Klum (right) was on the red carpet at the time. Other ventures 2025 Gaza Freedom Flotilla In July 2025, Smalls joined several other activists aboard the Gaza Freedom Flotilla, attempting to break Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip amid the Gaza genocide. Between July 26 and 27, the IDF seized the ship, towed it to the Port of Ashdod, and detained the activists on board, vowing to deport them to their respective countries. Along with most of the detainees, Smalls refused to sign deportation papers, and went on a hunger strike to protest what he viewed as Israel's unlawful arrest of the crew and its starvation of Palestinians in Gaza. Smalls was one of the last two passengers to remain in Israeli custody, being expelled on July 31.

Personal life

Smalls was married for seven years and has three children, including a set of twins. In 2026, Smalls joined UpScrolled.

NLRB campaign record

Discography

Singles "Complexions" (2012) "Do It" (2012) "My Time" (2012) "Work" (2012)

Music videos "Complexions" (2012); Directed by Harlem Legacy L.L.C "Do It" (2015); Directed by 5.A.M Fifth Avenue Money Productions