The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has announced that workers at seven Amazon locations will initiate a strike this Thursday morning. This move is aimed at pressuring the online retail giant to engage in labor agreement talks during a crucial shopping season.
Teamsters representatives indicate that workers, who have recently authorized strikes, are taking to the picket line after Amazon overlooked the Dec. 15 deadline set by the union for contract discussions. According to Amazon, the company believes that this strike will not disrupt its operations, despite the Teamsters labeling it as the most significant strike against Amazon in the U.S.
The Teamsters claim to represent nearly 10,000 workers across 10 Amazon sites, which is a small fraction of the 1.5 million individuals employed by Amazon at its warehouses and corporate offices nationwide.
One of the participating warehouses is situated in Staten Island, New York City, where thousands of employees voted for the Amazon Labor Union last year and later formed an affiliation with the Teamsters. Other Amazon locations have seen employees, including many delivery drivers, unite under the Teamsters’ representation, gaining majority support without undergoing traditional government-administered elections.
The strike events scheduled for Thursday will occur at an Amazon facility in San Francisco and at six delivery stations located in southern California, New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; and Skokie, Illinois, as detailed in the union’s recent announcement. The Teamsters have indicated that Amazon workers at additional facilities are “prepared to join” the strike as well.
“Amazon is driving its workers closer to the picket line by failing to demonstrate the respect they rightfully deserve,” commented Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement.
Amazon, headquartered in Seattle, has been attempting to overturn the election results that resulted in the union’s success at the Staten Island warehouse now represented by the Teamsters. This has involved the company filing a lawsuit that challenges the legality of the National Labor Relations Board’s actions.
In addition, Amazon asserts that the delivery drivers organized by the Teamsters are not considered their direct employees. Under Amazon’s business model, these drivers operate through independent entities known as Delivery Service Partners, who are responsible for delivering millions of packages to consumers daily.
“For over a year, the Teamsters have misled the public by claiming they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ This is misleading, and it appears to be yet another effort to propagate a false narrative,” remarked Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel.
The Teamsters contend that Amazon effectively oversees every aspect of the drivers’ work, warranting their classification as employees. Some labor regulators in the U.S. have supported the union in its petitions to the NLRB. In light of the mounting pressure, Amazon raised wages for its drivers in September.
