ALBANY, New York: In another defeat to the fledgling Amazon Labor Union that had aimed to intensify its cross-country campaign, Amazon.com workers rejected organizing a New York state warehouse by a margin of nearly two-to-one.

At Amazon's fulfillment center in Castleton-on-Hudson near Albany, employees voted 406 to 206 against joining the union, with a turnout of more than 64 percent.

This spring, the Amazon union, led by former Amazon employee Christian Smalls, delivered a first-ever victory for labor groups seeking to unionize Amazon in the U.S., winning a vote in New York City at one of the retailer's largest national warehouses.

For many years, unions have aimed to counter Amazon's labor practices, which they described as deleterious, such as the extensive monitoring of workers' productivity.

However, with this week's result, Amazon workers have rejected unions for the third time this year, including at a second New York City facility and another in Alabama.

"We are glad that our team in Albany was able to have their voices heard, and that they chose to keep the direct relationship with Amazon, as we think that this is the best arrangement for both our employees and customers," said Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel.

The online retailer has successfully discourage unionization at workshops attended by thousands of employees. Amazon's message stressing that only the company, and not unions, can guarantee better wages, could have resonated with workers amidst current turbulent economic conditions in the U.S.

Amazon recently raised its average starting pay for front-line U.S. staff to more than $19 per hour from over $18, which was the May 2021 median in the warehousing and storage sector.

Michael Pachter, analyst at Wedbush Securities, said, "If workers feel they are fairly paid, they are less likely to unionize," as quoted by Reuters.