Amazon cancels plans to open offices in New York

Amazon on Thursday announced that it has canceled plans to open its second headquarters, dubbed “HQ2,” in New York City following aggressive pushback from some local lawmakers and activists. 

“After much thought and deliberation, we’ve decided not to move forward with our plans to build a headquarters for Amazon in Long Island City, Queens,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.

“While polls show that 70 percent of New Yorkers support our plans and investment, a number of state and local politicians have made it clear that they oppose our presence and will not work with us to build the type of relationships that are required to go forward with the project we and many others envisioned in Long Island City,” the statement from Amazon said. 

City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer earlier this week called New York City a “union town.”

“They remarkably came to the City Council last week and declared not only would they not remain neutral when it came to efforts of their employees … to organize but that they would actually fight to crush any effort of their employees to unionize,” Bramer said. “This is a union town. I grew up in a union family. We’ve got to stand up for our values there.”

Critics have blasted Amazon as a union-busting behemoth that mistreats its workers.

“Rather than addressing the legitimate concerns that have been raised by many New Yorkers Amazon says you do it our way or not at all, we will not even consider the concerns of New Yorkers – that’s not what a responsible business would do,” Chelsea Connor, the communications director of the New York-based Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), said in a statement.

The political stakes were raised in recent weeks when state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D), a vocal Amazon opponent, was chosen to sit on the board providing oversight of second headquarters. The board was tasked with deciding on the Amazon headquarters development plan and had the ability to veto the deal.

“Like a petulant child, Amazon insists on getting its way or takes its ball and leaves,” Gianaris told The New York Times. “The only thing that happened here is that a community that was going to be profoundly affected by their presence started asking questions.’’

“Even by their own words,’’ he added pointing to their statement, “Amazon admits they will grow their presence in New York without their promised subsidies. So what was all this really about?”

–This report was updated at 12:38 p.m.