An Amazon workers’ strike has taken place at several locations across the United States. In Southern California, three locations are affected, while one location each in New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois, have also experienced strikes. The Teamsters union is leading this effort to push Amazon to agree on labor terms.
Thursday saw workers at seven Amazon facilities participating in the strike, organized by the Teamsters union. This action aims to urge the e-commerce giant to reach a labor agreement, especially as the holiday shopping season approaches. The union mentioned that workers started picketing after Amazon failed to meet the deadline set for contract negotiations on Sunday.
Despite Amazon’s statement that the strike would not disrupt its operations, the Teamsters union described it as the most significant strike against the company in the U.S. to date. The workers, who had previously voted to go on strike, are making their voices heard in this ongoing labor dispute.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters 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 union hasn’t said how many workers would participate in the strike or how long the walkout would last.
“Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said in a statement.
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, according to the union’s announcement.
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.
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.
At the facilities striking Thursday, workers unionized with the Teamsters by demonstrating majority support but without holding government-administered elections. They include Amazon-employed warehouse workers in San Francisco, and subcontracted delivery drivers elsewhere.
Under labor law, companies can recognize unions without elections being held, but the practice is rare, said John Logan, director of labor and employment studies at San Francisco State University.
Amazon workers in more locations are “prepared to join” the fight, the Teamsters said, noting that employees at the Staten Island warehouse and at a company air hub in California also have authorized strikes.
When asked about the strike Thursday, 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.”
“The truth is that they were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to come and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous,” Nantel said.
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 has accused the union, which says it represents some of the drivers, of “intentionally” misleading the public.
“This is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Nantel said.
But 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. In September, Amazon boosted pay for the drivers amid the growing pressure.
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.
