Connor Spence

Background

Connor Spence is a former Amazon employee who co-founded the Amazon Labor Union as an independent labor union for Amazon employees. ¹  As of early 2026, ALU had only successfully organized one facility, the JFK8 Fulfillment Center in Staten Island, New York. ²

Spence had reportedly been working at an Amazon facility in New Jersey, but sought out his job at the JFK8 facility with the intent of engaging in labor organizing there. ³ He was fired by Amazon in 2023 for violating a company policy prohibiting workers from accessing company property when off the clock. ⁴ Spence had reportedly spent large amounts of off-duty time in the Amazon facility breakroom attempting to organize a walkout of his fellow employees. ⁵

Leadership of Dissident Faction

Spence and other Amazon Labor Union members criticized the leadership of former ALU president Christian “Chris” Smalls, whom they accused of spending too much time and money traveling the country and the world rather than staying in Staten Island and working toward a contract with Amazon for the union’s members. ⁶

Criticism of Smalls within ALU became especially acute after the union lost votes to organize other Amazon facilities, and its finances became so precarious that it affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters rather than remain independent. ^{7  6}

Spence, who was ALU’s treasurer at the time, became the leader of a group of union dissidents who wanted to force a leadership change within the union. ⁸ They formed the “A.L.U. Democratic Reform Caucus,” and in 2023 sued the union to force a special leadership election after an informal internal referendum showed that roughly 60 percent of the union’s members supported a change in leadership. ⁹

In a three-way election in March 2024, Spence won the presidency of ALU-IBT Local 1.  ⁹

Role in 2024 Amazon Strike

In December 2024, members of Amazon Labor Union–IBT Local 1 went out on a five-day strike during the Christmas shopping rush in an attempt to force Amazon to negotiate a labor contract. ⁸ While Spence had said that 700 ALU-IBT members were prepared to go on strike, one independent pro-union observer estimated that “150 to 300” ALU-IBT members participated in the strike, with picket ranks inflated by members of the Democratic Socialists of America, other Teamsters unions, other labor unions, and other left-of-center activists and allies. ¹⁰

Amazon said the strike had no effect on its operations, as it had sufficient local capacity—including a non-unionized facility across the street—to meet all customer orders. ¹¹

Political Activism

In August 2025, Connor Spence endorsed self-described democratic socialist New York State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani (D) in his bid for Mayor of New York City. Mamdani subsequently won the mayoral election in November 2025 and took office on January 1, 2026. ^{12  13}