Teamsters Union Organizes Strike Against Amazon
Workers at seven Amazon facilities went on strike Thursday, an effort by the Teamsters union to pressure the e-commerce company for a labor agreement during a key shopping period.
The Teamsters said the workers, who voted to authorize strikes in recent days, joined picket lines after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union set for contract negotiations. The union called it the largest strike yet against the company in the U.S.
Strike Locations and Workers Affected
The strikes happening Thursday are taking place at seven delivery stations, where packages are prepared for delivery vehicles and then given to contractors who drop off them off to customers every day. They include three locations in Southern California, and one each in San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois.
The union claims it represents nearly 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities, a small portion of the 800,000 workers employed in the company's U.S. warehouses. The Teamsters haven't said how many workers would participate in the strike or how long the walkout would last.
Amazon Responds to Strike
Seattle-based Amazon has said it does not consider delivery drivers like the ones on strike to be its employees. Under the company's business model, the drivers work for third-party businesses, called Delivery Service Partners, who deliver millions of packages daily.
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said: “What you see here are almost entirely outsiders, not Amazon employees or partners, and the suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters.”
Tensions Rise as Labor Dispute Escalates
The biggest warehouse affiliated with the Teamsters is located in the New York City borough of Staten Island. In 2022, thousands of workers at the warehouse, known as JFK8, voted to be represented by the nascent Amazon Labor Union.
Workers then choose to affiliate with the Teamsters this past summer. The National Labor Relations Board certified that election to unionize, but Amazon has refused to bargain on a contract. In the process, the company has filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the labor board.
Impact on Amazon Operations
Though Amazon says it does not expect the strike to impact its operations, a walkout — especially one that lasts many days — could delay shipments in some metro areas. Shares of Amazon.com Inc. rose about 1.3% Thursday but were slightly down in after-hours trading.
Arrests Made During Strike
Two people were taken into custody at the demonstration in the New York City borough of Queens, according to the New York Police Department. Police did not say why the arrests were made. They said the individuals were given criminal court summons and then released.
Amazon's Stance on Labor Practices
Seattle-based Amazon has accused the union, which says it represents some of the drivers, of “intentionally” misleading the public. The company argues that delivery drivers work for third-party businesses, called Delivery Service Partners.
The Teamsters have argued Amazon essentially controls everything the drivers do and should be classified as their employer. U.S. labor regulators have sided with the union in filings made before the NLRB.