Workers in New York seek to create first AutoZone union as company resists

AutoZone has reportedly spent roughly $200,000 to oppose a unionization drive at its White Plains, New York, store, according to estimates from LaborLab, a non‑profit workers‑rights watchdog. The company’s legal and executive costs were derived from external attorney fees and internal salary expenses cited by employees at the location. Eleven workers at the AutoZone store are eligible to vote on whether to join the United Auto Workers Local 259, and the election is scheduled to begin on 25 September.

The White Plains shop would become the first AutoZone location to win a union election, a milestone that the retailer has actively resisted. LaborLab’s figures suggest a heavy‑handed campaign from AutoZone, aimed at discouraging union support among the small workforce. The upcoming vote will test the company’s efforts to maintain a non‑union status at a major auto‑parts retailer.

If the union wins, it would mark a significant shift in AutoZone’s labor relations and could influence union activity at other stores nationwide. The outcome of the September election will be closely watched by both the United Auto Workers and industry observers.