Amazon workers in several cities nationwide have walked off the job, initiating what the Teamsters labor union calls the “largest strike” against the online retail titan less than a week before Christmas.
Teamsters launch strikes across multiple U.S. cities
In a news release, the Teamsters announced strikes early Thursday morning at facilities in New York City, Atlanta, and San Francisco, with two locations in Southern California — Victorville and the City of Industry — and Skokie, Illinois. Amazon Teamsters at other facilities are preparing to join them.
The Teamsters said its local unions would also form primary picket lines at “hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.”
BREAKING – NYPD arrests Teamsters organizer and leader and attempts to break the strike of thousands of Amazon workers with @amazonteamsters. The cops are doing Amazon’s dirty work by coming down hard on the workers, but they can’t be stopped. The strike continues and On the Line… pic.twitter.com/6hOc0YtkXF
— On the Line (@laborontheline) December 19, 2024
‘This strike is on them’
The nationwide strike follows Amazon’s refusal to follow the law and negotiate with workers organized under the Teamsters. The labor union’s president, Sean M. O’Brien, criticized the online retail giant and its executives for unfair pay practices and a lack of respect for workers.
“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,” O’Brien said. “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. This strike is on them.”
TEAMSTERS LAUNCH LARGEST STRIKE AGAINST AMAZON IN AMERICAN HISTORY
The Teamsters will launch the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Thurs., Dec. 19. The nationwide action follows Amazon’s repeated refusal to follow the law and bargain with… pic.twitter.com/A06NKciCDB
— Teamsters (@Teamsters) December 19, 2024
Amazon workers cite unfair wages and work conditions
Amazon is the second-largest corporation on the Fortune 500 list, worth over $2 trillion. However, according to the news release, the company has been accused of failing to pay its workers a livable wage. Workers in several locations where the strikes are happening say what they are doing is “historic” and that Amazon does not “respect” or “negotiate” with its workers for better conditions.
“We are struggling and fighting for basic benefits and needs that are otherwise an industry standard,” driver Luke Cianciotto told reporters at the Skokie facility, CNN reported. “Many of us, we don’t have any Christmas presents under the tree this year. The wages and hours we get working for Amazon simply aren’t enough to get by in today’s economy.”
Amazon responds
A spokesperson for Amazon has pushed back against those claims made by workers and Teamster members.
“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, per Newsweek. “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.”
In its release, the union said nearly 10,000 Amazon workers nationwide had joined the Teamsters.
“They are fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer conditions at work.”
The Teamsters also responded to Newsweek: “Amazon is gaslighting the American public with their false narratives. The truth is, over 20 bargaining units, representing nearly 9,000 employees have successfully organized because for many years the company has exploited and abused workers, and these workers are fed up and fighting back.”
Will the strike affect holiday deliveries?
Newsweek mentioned that the strike may disrupt holiday shopping as Christmas approaches, potentially causing delays and delivery issues.
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