As Teamsters seek a labor contract, Amazon employees go on strike at many locations.
In an attempt to pressure the online retailer for a labor deal during a crucial shopping season, Teamsters went on strike Thursday at seven Amazon locations.
The Teamsters claim that when Amazon disregarded a deadline the union set for contract negotiations on Sunday, the employees, who had approved strikes in recent days, are joining the picket line. During what the union refers to as the biggest strike against the firm in American history, Amazon says it does not anticipate any disruptions to its operations.
Of the 1.5 million individuals that Amazon employs in its warehouses and corporate offices, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters claims to represent almost 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities.
Thousands of workers who supported the Amazon Labor Union in 2022 have subsequently joined the Teamsters at one warehouse in the Staten Island borough of New York City. Employees at the other sites, including a large number of delivery drivers, have united with them through majority support without the need for elections run by the government.
According to the union’s notice, the strikes on Thursday are occurring at six delivery locations in southern California, New York City; Atlanta, Georgia; and Skokie, Illinois, in addition to one Amazon warehouse in San Francisco, California. According to the union, Amazon employees at the other locations are “ready to join.”
According to a statement released by Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien, “Amazon is driving its employees closer to the picket line by not treating them with the respect they deserve.”
The Teamsters now represent the warehouse on Staten Island, where the Seattle-based online retailer has been attempting to repeat the election that resulted in the union victory. In the process, the business has sued to challenge the National Labor Relations Board’s constitutionality.
The Teamsters have been organizing delivery drivers for almost a year, but Amazon claims that they are not its employees. According to its business model, the drivers deliver millions of products to clients every day on behalf of third-party companies known as Delivery Service Partners.
The Teamsters have been purposefully misleading the public for over a year by asserting that they speak for “thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.” According to a statement from Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel, “They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative.”
According to the Teamsters, Amazon should be considered an employer as it effectively controls all of the drivers’ actions. In filings before the NLRB, a few U.S. labor regulators have taken the union’s side. Amazon increased the drivers’ compensation in September in response to the mounting demand.
Amazon.com Inc.’s stock increased by over 1% before Thursday’s opening bell.