Amazon's Staten Island warehouse workers file petition for union election

FILE PHOTO: An employee pulls a cart full of items at Amazon's JFK8 distribution center in Staten Island, New York, U.S. November 25, 2020. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid.

(Reuters) -Workers at an Amazon.com Inc warehouse in New York City's Staten Island borough have filed a petition to form a union, the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said on Monday, though the company questioned whether enough legitimate signatures were gathered.

The move represents the second time that U.S. staffers for the world's biggest online retailer have aimed to unionize this year, following a failed effort https://www.reuters.com/article/us-amazon-com-union-idTRNIKBN2BW1HQ at an Alabama facility in April. Though Amazon has long resisted such efforts, some employees are advocating for more protections and benefits in light of a COVID-19 pandemic that put their safety at risk.