Chris Smalls: podcast appearances and interviews

Christian Smalls, born on July 4, 1988, is an American labor organizer and activist known for his leadership in organizing Amazon workers in Staten Island. He is a co-founder and the former president of the Amazon Labor Union. Smalls grew up in New Jersey and initially pursued a career as a rapper, touring briefly with Meek Mill before transitioning to work in the service industry and warehouses to support his children. He joined Amazon in 2015. In March 2020, Smalls organized a walkout at the Amazon JFK8 warehouse to protest inadequate safety measures related to COVID-19. He was terminated on the same day for violating social distancing policies, a decision that drew criticism from government officials and led to lawsuits alleging unlawful termination. Following his dismissal, Smalls founded the Congress of Essential Workers, a worker-activist group that supported the formation of the Amazon Labor Union in April 2021. Under his leadership, the union successfully held a vote to organize the JFK8 warehouse in April 2022. Smalls was recognized as one of Time magazine's most influential people in 2022. Despite his prominence, leadership of the ALU was fielded amid challenges including two failed NLRB votes, and he did not seek reelection, being replaced by Connor Spence in July 2024.