Amazon warehouse workers in several US cities are threatening to strike over contract negotiations and safety concerns. The workers, who have already unionized at two facilities, have set a deadline of December 15 for the company to agree to begin talks on their first collective bargaining agreement.
The strike is part of a broader effort by Amazon workers across the country to push for improvements in pay, safety, and job security. In New York City alone, several thousand workers are involved in the protest, with some at facilities in Staten Island and Queens voting to authorize strikes over contract issues.
The strike comes after Amazon faced criticism for its handling of workplace injuries, particularly during the 2024 Black Friday and Cyber Monday events. A recent US Senate report found that senior executives rejected internal recommendations to relax productivity quotas due to concerns about their impact on performance.
Senator Bernie Sanders criticized Amazon’s response to the report, calling it “fundamentally flawed” after union-sponsored research showed injury rates at Amazon were higher than those of its peers.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/dec/16/amazon-workers-strike-new-york-atlanta-chicago