Days before Christmas, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union announced on Thursday, December 19, that Amazon workers would go on strike in what is described as the “largest strike against Amazon in U.S.” history. According to the union, seven facilities will join the strike, and more will be prepared to join them afterward.
“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,” Teamsters General Presiden Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement. “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”
According to the Teamsters statement, seven facilities joined the strike on Thursday. One is in New York City, one is in Atlanta, three are in Southern California, one is in San Francisco, and one is in Skokie, Illinois. However, since the announcement, one additional facility from Staten Island has joined the strike on Friday, December 20.
According to the union, approximately 10,000 Amazon employees have joined the strike. Their demands are “higher wages, better benefits, and safer conditions at work.”
Claims Rebutted
While the Teamsters state that Amazon refused to negotiate with them, the multinational has rebutted the claims. They called them misleading and even said that “outsiders” hijacked the strike altogether.
“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 in a statement shared with outlets.
Nantel would state that the Teamsters have “intimidated” and “attempted to coerce” Amazon employees into joining the strike. “What you’re seeing at these sites are almost entirely outsiders—not Amazon employees or partners—and the suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters,” the statement continues.
Nantel insists that these “outsiders” were brought in as the Teamsters were not able to gather enough support. Nantel called the “harassment” of their employees “inappropriate and dangerous.” He ends the statement by saying that the strike will have no impact on Amazon order deliveries.