Amazon.com workers at seven US facilities are walked off during the holiday shopping spree leaving the company in a stressful situation. With this strike the workers are hoping to pressure the online shopping giant into contract with their union.
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.
Read next
05:51
Taiwan has reported a sharp increase in Chinese military activity as Beijing concluded two days of war games around the island, intensifying tensions across the Taiwan Strait.
05:22
Hunter Biden has voluntarily surrendered his license to practice law in Washington, D.C., following criminal convictions that raised questions about his professional eligibility.
03:49
Brazil has named automotive industry executive Dan Ioschpe as its official “climate champion” for the COP30 summit, to be held in Belém this November.
02:57
Within hours of Trump’s “Liberation Day” speech, a chorus of global voices began responding — some cautiously, others furiously. While the U.S. president promised to rebalance what he called “decades of economic exploitation,” world capitals began drawing their own red lines.
02:31
Standing in the White House Rose Garden, President Donald Trump declared what he called “Liberation Day”, announcing a raft of tariffs on U.S. trading partners — the most expansive use of trade powers in modern American history.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment