Why Is Teamsters Union On Strike Against Amazon

Early Thursday morning, members of the Teamsters union initiated a strike against Amazon, with plans to expand the action to six facilities in four states. The strike began at a facility in Queens, New York, at 6 a.m. ET, followed by workers in Skokie, Illinois, an hour later. Additional locations in Atlanta, San Francisco, Victorville, and the City of Industry, California, are scheduled to join the strike throughout the day.

Amazon Denies Operational Impact

Amazon has stated that its operations will remain unaffected by the strike. The company also downplayed the union’s influence, noting that the 7,000 Amazon workers represented by the Teamsters account for less than 1% of its U.S. workforce.

“There are a lot of nuances here, but I want to be clear: the Teamsters don’t represent any Amazon employees despite their claims to the contrary,” said Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, in a statement. “This entire narrative is a PR play, and the Teamsters’ conduct this past year, and this week, is illegal.”

Union Demands and Amazon Worker Struggles

Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien criticized Amazon’s approach to labor relations. “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 stated on X (formerly Twitter).

Workers participating in the strike voiced concerns about inadequate wages and benefits. Luke Cianciotto, a driver at the Skokie facility, spoke about the financial hardships many workers face. “We are struggling and fighting for basic benefits and needs that are otherwise an industry standard,” Cianciotto said. “Many of us don’t have any Christmas presents under the tree this year because the wages and hours we get working for Amazon simply aren’t enough to get by in today’s economy.”

Joint Employer Debate Adds Complexity

The union claims that drivers at the striking facilities work for Amazon contractors but should also be considered Employees under a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rule. This interpretation is being challenged by Amazon and other business groups.

Notably, the union did not include Amazon’s Staten Island warehouse in the strike. This facility made headlines in 2022 as the first Amazon location to vote in favor of unionizing. Although the union had previously announced that a strike there was authorized, it did not proceed. The union has not disclosed why Staten Island workers were excluded from this action. The election results at that location remain under legal dispute as the company continues to challenge the outcome.

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