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Person

Justine Medina

Nationality:

American
Occupation:

Member of Amazon Labor Union Organizing Committee
Political Party:

Communist Party USA
Residence:

New York

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Justine Medina is a radical-left activist, self-described Marxist-Leninist, 1 and member or the Communist Party 2 who was a leading figure of the Amazon Labor Union organizing committee, which lead the first successful effort to create a labor union at an Amazon facility in the United States. 3 4

According to Medina, the pro-union efforts at Amazon learned from the tactics of the radical socialist Industrial Workers of the World labor union, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) labor union, and Marxist labor organizer William Z. Foster’s book, Organizing Methods in the Steel Industry. 5

Medina is also a co-chair of the Queens, New York Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and a member of the New York Democratic Socialists of America. 6 She supports the abolition of prisons and the suburbs 7 8 and the far-left Black Lives Matter movement. 9 Previously Medina was a member of the Campaign Workers’ Guild on U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)’s 2020 re-election campaign. 10

Career

Justine Medina was a leading figure of the Amazon Labor Union organizing committee, which lead the first successful effort to create a labor union at an Amazon facility in the United States, at the JFK8 facility located in Staten Island, New York, in April 2022. 11 12

In 2021, Medina applied for a job at Amazon as a “salt,” a term that for a worker who starts at a company specifically to aid unionization and labor union efforts. 13 That September, she started working at the JFK8 Amazon facility in Staten Island and worked to support pro-union efforts at the facility. 14 15 16

According to Medina, the pro-union efforts at Amazon learned from the tactics of the radical socialist Industrial Workers of the World labor union, the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) labor union, and Marxist labor organizer William Z. Foster’s book, Organizing Methods in the Steel Industry. 17 She has also said that in order to have an “actual worker-led project,” you have to bring together a “broad progressive coalition” which includes “salts with organizing experience, Communists, some socialists, anarcho-syndicalists, and comrades from other unions” in supporting roles. 18

Medina called Amazon’s actions throughout the unionization process “absolutely incompatible with LGBT protections and a good work environment and safety” and claimed that labor unions are “one of the only ways workers can stand up and get their rights.” 19 20

Political Positions

Justine Medina is a self-described Marxist-Leninist, prison abolitionist, and anti-imperialist. 21 She is a member of the Communist Party, 22 a co-chair of the New York Young Communist League, 23 a co-chair of the Queens, New York Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), and a member of the New York Democratic Socialists of America. 24

Previously Medina worked as a member of the Campaign Workers’ Guild on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)’s 2020 re-election campaign 25 and on the Strike Against Kavanaugh campaign which demands the impeachment of U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh. 26 In 2020, Medina also co-signed the DSA Members Organizing Against Trump Letter, which opposed the re-election of President Donald Trump. 27

Justine Medina supports the far-left Black Lives Matter movement, 28 participated in the left-wing anti-capitalist Occupy Wall Street protests, 29 and supports the abolition of prisons 30 and suburbs. 31 As a law student at Brooklyn College, Medina was a member of  Brooklyn Law School’s chapter of the radical-left National Lawyers Guild. 32

As a part of her left-wing activism, Medina has called for white people to “put your bodies between weapons/fists and brown and black [folks] to keep them safe” 33 and called Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) a racist. 34

In April 2022, Medina led a workshop as a part of Marymount Manhattan College’s critical race theory-influenced Social Justice Academy Spring 2022 Series. 35

Personal Information

Justine Medina is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan University and studied law at Brooklyn Law School. 36 37

References

  1. “Justine Medina | Defund the NYPD.” Twitter Profile. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989.
  2. Lazare, Sarah. “How Workers Used Amazon’s Captive Audience Meetings Against the Company.” In These Times. April 4, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://inthesetimes.com/article/amazon-labor-union-jfk8-staten-island-jeff-bezos-workers.
  3. Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon.
  4. Leon, Luis Feliz. “Amazon Workers on Staten Island Clinch a Historic Victory.” Labor Notes. April 1, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://labornotes.org/2022/04/amazon-workers-staten-island-clinch-historic-victory.
  5. Leon, Luis Feliz. “Amazon Workers on Staten Island Clinch a Historic Victory.” Labor Notes. April 1, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://labornotes.org/2022/04/amazon-workers-staten-island-clinch-historic-victory.
  6. “DSA Members Organizing Against Trump.” DSA. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLowxXwuJhiRNznw057xOiRpY05AeY1-WeKWkDxj9DrfyVxg/viewform.
  7. “Justine Medina | Defund the NYPD.” Twitter Profile. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989.
  8. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 15, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/1283445687502491650?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  9. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 8, 2018. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/1038497728148455424?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  10. [1] Interview. “How the Amazon Labor Union Defeated the Bezos Behemoth.” Current Affairs. April 22, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/04/how-the-amazon-labor-union-defeated-the-bezos-behemoth.
  11. Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon.
  12. Leon, Luis Feliz. “Amazon Workers on Staten Island Clinch a Historic Victory.” Labor Notes. April 1, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://labornotes.org/2022/04/amazon-workers-staten-island-clinch-historic-victory.
  13. “Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon.
  14. Interview. “How the Amazon Labor Union Defeated the Bezos Behemoth.” Current Affairs. April 22, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/04/how-the-amazon-labor-union-defeated-the-bezos-behemoth.
  15. Leon, Luis Feliz. “Amazon Workers on Staten Island Clinch a Historic Victory.” Labor Notes. April 1, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://labornotes.org/2022/04/amazon-workers-staten-island-clinch-historic-victory.
  16. Lazare, Sarah. “How Workers Used Amazon’s Captive Audience Meetings Against the Company.” In These Times. April 4, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://inthesetimes.com/article/amazon-labor-union-jfk8-staten-island-jeff-bezos-workers.
  17. Leon, Luis Feliz. “Amazon Workers on Staten Island Clinch a Historic Victory.” Labor Notes. April 1, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://labornotes.org/2022/04/amazon-workers-staten-island-clinch-historic-victory.
  18. “Justine Medina.” The Daily Worker. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/authors/justine-medina/.
  19.  “How to Unionize Amazon.” Tech Won’t Save Us Podcast. April 7, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://techwontsave.us/episode/109_how_to_unionize_amazon_w_justine_medina__karen_ponce.
  20. Lazare, Sarah. “The LGBTQ Rights Group that Helped Launder Amazon’s Image.” In These Times. April 14, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://inthesetimes.com/article/amazon-human-rights-campaign-lgbtq-workers-amazon-labor-union.
  21. “Justine Medina | Defund the NYPD.” Twitter Profile. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989.
  22. Lazare, Sarah. “How Workers Used Amazon’s Captive Audience Meetings Against the Company.” In These Times. April 4, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://inthesetimes.com/article/amazon-labor-union-jfk8-staten-island-jeff-bezos-workers.
  23. “Justine Medina.” The Daily Worker. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.peoplesworld.org/authors/justine-medina/.
  24. “DSA Members Organizing Against Trump.” DSA. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLowxXwuJhiRNznw057xOiRpY05AeY1-WeKWkDxj9DrfyVxg/viewform.
  25. Interview. “How the Amazon Labor Union Defeated the Bezos Behemoth.” Current Affairs. April 22, 2022. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.currentaffairs.org/2022/04/how-the-amazon-labor-union-defeated-the-bezos-behemoth.
  26. “Justine | Defund the NYPD.” Twitter Profile. Accessed via Web Archive. April 23, 2022. https://archive.ph/IPkqr.
  27. “DSA Members Organizing Against Trump.” DSA. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLowxXwuJhiRNznw057xOiRpY05AeY1-WeKWkDxj9DrfyVxg/viewform.
  28. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted September 8, 2018. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/1038497728148455424?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  29. “Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon
  30. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted February 13, 2017. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/831291613058125825?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  31. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted July 15, 2020. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/1283445687502491650?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  32. Moore, Morgan. “Activism Alert: Strike Against Kavanaugh.” Law @ the Margins.” October 9, 2018. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://lawatthemargins.com/activismalertkavanaugh-10092018/
  33. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted January 26, 2017. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/824834195059011584?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog.
  34. “Tweet.” Twitter. Posted August 29, 2018. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://twitter.com/jnmedina8989/status/1034918770089836544?s=21&t=IA9xsyYtFcLOEcEh_BlXog
  35. “Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon.
  36. “Justine Medina ’12 and the First Unionized Amazon Warehouse.” Marymount Manhattan. Accessed April 23, 2022. https://www.mmm.edu/live/news/4422-justine-medina-12-and-the-first-unionized-amazon.
  37. Moore, Morgan. “Activism Alert: Strike Against Kavanaugh.” Law @ the Margins.” October 9, 2018. Accessed April 24, 2022. https://lawatthemargins.com/activismalertkavanaugh-10092018/.
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