Thousands of Amazon.com workers across seven U.S. facilities launched a strike early Thursday, targeting the holiday shopping rush to demand contract negotiations with the e-commerce giant. Organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the walkout is being described as the "largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history."
Employees from New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, three sites in Southern California, and Skokie, Illinois, joined the strike. The Teamsters, which represent nearly 10,000 Amazon employees at 10 facilities, said workers at other locations are prepared to join in soon.
This action follows a Dec. 15 deadline set by the Teamsters for Amazon to begin negotiations. Workers at several sites had voted to authorize the strike after the company failed to join discussions. The Staten Island warehouse, Amazon’s first unionized facility, has been at the centre of labour disputes, with workers accusing the company of refusing to recognize their union.
"If your holiday package is delayed, you can hold Amazon’s insatiable greed responsible," said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien. "We gave them a clear deadline to do right by their workers. They ignored it. This strike is on them."
Considering that Unions represent only about 1% of the labour force of Amazon, the company downplayed the impact of the strike, claiming its operations would remain unaffected during this busy shopping period. The company also accused the Teamsters of misrepresenting their influence and using unlawful tactics.
Union efforts have been an issue for Amazon for a long time now. The company has taken legal action to challenge unionization attempts several times. This includes appealing a 2022 Staten Island union vote and filing a federal lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board.
Despite the tension, Amazon has highlighted efforts to improve worker pay. Earlier this year, it announced a $2.1 billion investment to raise wages for fulfilment and transportation employees, bringing the average base pay to $22 per hour—a 7% increase. The Teamsters, however, criticized the company for ignoring greater demands for a labour agreement.
For now, the strike remains as a significant escalation in the ongoing battle between the retail giant and organized labour.
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