Thousands of Teamsters union members went on strike against Amazon early Thursday morning at seven facilities in four states across the country. This, of course, is all happening at a deeply critical time of year for the online retail giant: the holiday season.
The strike began at 6 a.m. on December 19 at facilities in New York City, Atlanta, SoCal, San Francisco and Illinois, as nearly 10,000 Amazon workers walked off the job, according to a statement from the Teamsters. In addition to that, local unions will put up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. This may end up being a real mess, but Amazon isn’t too worried. The company told CNN that the striking Teamsters account for less than 1 percent of its U.S. workforce.
In the release, the union said its action was the “largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history.” It added that this action comes after Amazon refused to bargain with workers who organized with the union. It also said not to blame union members if your packages are delayed.
“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it. These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price,” Sean M. O’Brien, Teamsters General President, said in a statement. “This strike is on them.”
Shockingly, Amazon is pointing the finger at the Teamsters for this dispute. Here’s its statement to ABC News:
“For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’. They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said. “The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union.”
The spokesperson said the company has increased the starting minimum wage for workers in fulfillment centers and transportation employees by 20% and in September increased average base wage to $22 per hour.
This is the latest in the fight between Amazon and unions. Back in 2022, Amazon workers at a facility in Staten Island voted to unionize, making them the first group at Amazon to do so. Since then, workers there say the company has refused to recognize the union and negotiate a contract. This is despite the fact that the National Labor Relations Board officially certified the union representing workers at the facility. Amazon has appealed that ruling.
Anyway, please try to think about this if your Christmas gift is a bit late this year: is it worth it to have items show up at your door immediately if the folks bringing it to you aren’t being treated fairly? I personally do not think so, and I hope you feel the same way.
