North Carolina
‘Fighting Goliath’: Amazon workers to hold union election at North Carolina warehouse
An independent group of workers at an Amazon warehouse in Garner, North Carolina, are seeking to form the second unionized warehouse at Amazon in the US.
Carolina Amazonians United for Solidarity and Empowerment (Cause) filed to hold a union election at the warehouse, which, despite Amazon claiming they were “very skeptical” the group would have enough legitimate signatures for the petition, was approved by the National Labor Relations Board.
The election to represent 4,300 workers at the 700,000 sq foot warehouse in the suburbs of Raleigh is scheduled to be held from 10 to 15 February.
The union has been organizing since early 2022 at the warehouse, pushing for better pay, improved paid time off, better scheduling, improved accommodations for workers with injuries or disabilities, and respect on the job.
The Rev Ryan Brown, a co-founder of the group, who worked at the warehouse for five years until he was terminated in December, explained he was inspired by seeing Amazon workers such as Jennifer Bates publicly speak out during the first union election at Amazon in the US in 2021 at a Bessemer, Alabama, warehouse. Those workers came up short in a vote and a re-run election, but another re-run election has been ordered by a judge due to Amazon’s misconduct.
In early 2022, Brown said he spoke out against being ordered to work in a department in the warehouse known for Covid-19 outbreaks, and began speaking with a co-worker with similar concerns about the workplace. They decided to start organizing for improvements.
The group faced significant challenges, especially as a grassroots organization in a “right-to-work” state, where employees can receive full union representation without paying union dues. He said assistance from the Southern Workers Assembly and Black Workers for Justice in North Carolina had been pivotal in getting the union vote organized.
“Growing up in North Carolina, I knew very few people that belonged to a union. I know very few people that I will have a conversation with that could tell you anything about a union,” Brown explained.
Despite North Carolina having one of the lowest union densities, in the US, at 2.7% in 2023, Brown said communities in North Carolina such as his had significant organizing experience, though it is based in the church.
“Growing up in the rural south, I realized that my church was the epicenter of most people’s lives,” added Brown. “The other challenge, the most important challenge to us is Amazon is such a terrible employer, that you can inoculate folks, educate folks, and either they quit or they’re terminated. And so that’s where we were inspired to start the theme about organizing, ‘don’t quit, organize.’”
Brown was ultimately fired after a verbal altercation he had outside the Amazon warehouse during the Thanksgiving holidays. Brown, who is Black, disputes Amazon’s characterization of the incident. The company also fired two additional workers leading in union organizing at the site last year, with Amazon denying any retaliation.
“They painted me to be this angry, racist Black man,” claimed Brown.
An Amazon spokesperson, Eileen Hards, said in response to Brown’s termination, “while we don’t normally discuss personnel matters, since Mr Brown has chosen to push misinformation to the media, we’re compelled to share the facts. Mr Brown was terminated for repeated misconduct that included making derogatory and racist comments to his co-workers.”
Brown characterized the union fight as historic, in the sense that workers have always fought back against poor treatment by corporations. He argued this fight was more imperative now given the stark wealth and income inequality in the US and Amazon’s vast presence in industries throughout the economy, and a fight for future generations and the American labor movement as a whole.
“It’s a fight for children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, because I don’t want them living in an America where you tell your children to do everything right, to go to school, study hard, get an education,” he said. “They want to get out of school, but have so much debt that they already have a house mortgage. You tell them to go find a good job, but even though they’re educated, there are no jobs out there and the jobs that they do find, they don’t provide a living wage where they can be a part of the American dream.
“So our fight is connected with the past, the present and the future. And the preacher in me would like to say that when you look at the historical narrative of Goliath, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. But someone has to start fighting that Goliath.”
Italo Medelius-Marsano, who has worked at RDU1 since 2022 while completing law school, argued the work environment and power disparities between associates and managers at Amazon had incited the push for a union at the warehouse.
“If we do win this one, it’s going to be historic in many ways,” he said. “So if we can win this thing, we would be the first Amazon union in the south, second in the nation, and we already have a lot of strategic insights from the other union drives.”
Hards, the Amazon spokesperson, said: “We’ve always said that we want our employees to have their voices heard, and we hope and expect this process allows for that. We believe our employees favor opportunities to have their unique voice heard by working directly with our team.
“The fact is, Amazon already offers what many unions are requesting: safe, inclusive workplaces, competitive pay, industry-leading benefits – including health care on day one, pre-paid college tuition, and a 401k with company match – opportunities for career growth, and more.”
At least two people are dead and “several” others are injured after a “planned fight” at a North Carolina park escalated into a mass shooting, authorities said.
Police have identified several victims and suspects after Monday’s shooting at Leinbach Park near Jefferson Middle School, according to the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Authorities confirmed there were multiple victims in the shooting, but did not provide an exact number. The suspects were still at large over two hours later.
Officers were called to the park just before 10 a.m. after reports of a fight, which then escalated into multiple people shooting each other.
Area schools are not in lockdown, and classes are operating as normal, police said.
“Due to the number of people involved, efforts are ongoing to account for everyone. At this time, some of those involved in the incident are juveniles,” police said.
According to local news station WFMY, at least three people were taken to the hospital. Officials have not shared their conditions.
Police said the shooting was an isolated incident and remains under investigation.
This is a developing story
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Sunday, April 19, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Pick 3 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 6-2-0, Fireball: 6
Evening: 4-1-7, Fireball: 5
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from April 19 drawing
Day: 7-6-9-4, Fireball: 4
Evening: 8-1-5-6, Fireball: 6
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from April 19 drawing
02-21-32-35-37
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from April 19 drawing
18-26-27-31-42
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from April 19 drawing
32-42-52-53-55, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
The North Carolina Tar Heels will be a young program across the board next season, with well over two dozen freshmen and numerous additions from the transfer portal this offseason. Expectations for the 2026 season are lowered dramatically after a disastrous first season for head coach Bill Belichick, though those expectations could help the Tar Heels fly under the radar.
As the Tar Heels approach the end of spring ball, it is time to look at the veterans of the team—the ones who have the experience to lead, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Let’s look at three underrated seniors for the 2026 football season.
Ade Willie, Cornerback
Willie joins the Tar Heels program after four years with Michigan State, as the former 4-star player in the 2022 recruiting class gets an opportunity to not only provide depth to the secondary, but potentially start Week 0 against TCU.
Willie played in over 30 games with the Spartans and brings experience in the secondary at cornerback and safety, along with quality length and closing speed to the football. For a defense that needs players to step up, the redshirt senior from IMG Academy will be asked to do so.
Isaiah Johnson, Defensive Lineman
The defensive line is beginning to look like one of the Tar Heels’ strengths for the 2026 season. Johnson, a former transfer from Arizona, enters his redshirt senior year looking to add another year of production after 40 tackles and two sacks this past season.
North Carolina has an impressive group of starters with Malkart Abou-Jaoude, Leroy Jackson, and incoming transfer Jaylen Harvey. Johnson adds value to the group as a run defender with the ability to penetrate the pocket. While not discussed as a key player, Johnson’s name will be used plenty during the regular season as a potential standout for the program’s defensive front.
Coleman Bryson, Safety
Bryson was a reserve player for the Tar Heels’ secondary last season as a big nickel defender in the rotation. Heading into his redshirt senior year, the former Minnesota Gopher is looking to become a full-time starter in the secondary.
It wasn’t long ago when Bryson was making plays as the 2022 Pinstripe Bowl Defensive MVP. His special teams abilities were valuable for North Carolina last season, and he flashed at times in coverage against tight ends, including a pass breakup in the season-opener against TCU. The Waynesville, North Carolina, native could be a key defender on the back-seven in 2026.
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