Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are walking out at multiple facilities, starting with seven delivery hubs in the US. The strike is set to include a prominent warehouse in New York City on Saturday, affecting over 5,500 employees.
The workers, who voted to authorize strikes recently, are demanding better wages, benefits, and safer working conditions. Amazon has refused to negotiate with the union, despite being classified as a “joint employer” of subcontracted drivers by federal authorities.
The strike is taking place at delivery hubs in Southern California, San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois. The Teamsters say the action will continue “as long as it takes,” with more locations prepared to join the fight.
Amazon has said it doesn’t expect the strike to impact holiday shipments, but a prolonged walkout could delay deliveries in some areas. The company claims it builds its sites close to customers, schedules shipping windows, and works with other carriers to minimize operational impacts.
The unionization effort was sparked by Amazon’s refusal to negotiate with the Teamsters after the labor organization filed unfair labor charges against the company last year. Despite this, some organizers believe that a strike is necessary to get Amazon’s attention.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/amazon-workers-strike-teamsters-packages-39b86c286d67219e42309566f3975cba