This could be the start of Amazon’s first US union.

Employees at an Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama have been raising calls to unionize in the face of rising discontent with the company.

“Nineteen workers have died at Amazon facilities. We face outrageous work quotas that have left many with illnesses and lifetime injuries,” the workers’ petition website says. “With a union contract, we can form a worker safety committee, and negotiate the highest safety standards and protocols for our workplace.”

Earlier in the week, federal labor authorities gave the official go-ahead to these workers, who are now in the process of planning a unionization vote. The National Labor Relations Board will be meeting with representatives from both Amazon and the workers later today to determine some of the specifics of the process.

In a typical unionization situation, at least 30% of a workforce would need to sign on for the movement to be official. The Alabama workers’ petition has claimed that the union will support about 1,500 employees out of the 5,000 employed at this warehouse. Amazon has insisted the support is insufficient for a motion, claiming that the movement does not represent “the majority of our employees’ views.”

Terry D. Combs, assistant to the regional director for the NLRB’s Atlanta region, disagreed on the labor board’s behalf, saying that it “is administratively satisfied that there is a sufficient showing of interest to continue processing the case.”

Many Amazon locations in the European Union already utilize unions for their workers, but the US warehouses have thus far been deterred from the prospect. Should this new motion carry, the workers of the Bessemer warehouse will be represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union for any current or future grievances.