Section VII · Economic Anger, Identity & Mobilization
Chris Smalls
Labor Organizing, Worker Power, and the New Economy
To understand Chris Smalls, you have to begin with a contemporary labor question: what does worker power look like in a decentralized, platform-driven economy?
Modern labor markets—particularly in logistics, warehousing, and gig work—are often characterized by scale, surveillance, and fragmented employment relationships. Traditional unions have struggled to organize within these environments.
Smalls emerges from that context. At the center of his worldview is a defining claim:
Workers can organize and exert power even within highly controlled, technologically advanced workplaces.
As a former Amazon warehouse worker, Smalls became a leading figure in organizing efforts at one of the most influential companies in the world. His role in founding the Amazon Labor Union represents a direct challenge to assumptions about the limits of labor organizing in large-scale, anti-union environments. From this perspective, power is not fixed—it can be built from the ground up.
Unlike traditional union campaigns often driven by large institutions, Smalls' approach emphasizes direct worker involvement, peer-to-peer organizing, and lived experience as the basis for collective action. Legitimacy, in this model, comes from participation, not hierarchy.
He also highlights working conditions. Issues such as wages, safety, surveillance, and job security are central to his organizing efforts, reflecting broader concerns about labor in the modern economy.
Technological advancement does not eliminate labor conflict—it reshapes it.
Smalls' work also intersects with questions of race, class, and visibility. As a Black labor organizer operating in high-profile corporate environments, his leadership brings attention to the intersection of economic and social inequality within contemporary workplaces.
Supporters see Smalls as a new generation labor leader.
They argue that his success demonstrates the continued relevance of collective action, even in sectors where traditional organizing models have struggled. His approach is seen as adaptable, authentic, and rooted in worker experience. From this perspective, Smalls revitalizes labor organizing for the digital age.
Critics, however, raise questions about sustainability and scale.
Some argue that grassroots efforts may face challenges in maintaining momentum, securing resources, or negotiating effectively with large corporations. Others question how broadly this model can be replicated. A deeper tension lies in structure versus flexibility: should labor organizing rely on established institutions, or evolve into more decentralized, worker-led models? Smalls' work leans toward the latter.
Chris Smalls represents a contemporary evolution of labor power—one that adapts to the realities of scale, technology, and fragmented employment. He does not reject unions, but he redefines how they can be built, demonstrating that organizing can emerge organically from within the workforce.
What does worker power look like in the modern economy? How can labor organize within highly controlled corporate environments? And what forms of collective action are most effective in the 21st century?