In a bold escalation of union activity, members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters staged strikes at multiple Amazon facilities across the United States on Thursday. The labor action, timed during the busy holiday shopping season, underscores growing tensions between the e-commerce giant and its workforce over union recognition, pay, and working conditions.
The strikes began at 6 a.m. Eastern at an Amazon delivery station in Queens, New York, followed by pickets at facilities in Skokie, Illinois; Atlanta, Georgia; and San Francisco and southern California locations later in the day. According to the Teamsters, workers at these sites walked off the job after Amazon failed to meet a Sunday deadline to begin contract negotiations.
"Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned," said Sean M. O'Brien, the Teamsters' general president.
The union, which claims to represent nearly 10,000 Amazon workers nationwide, is demanding that the company recognize the rights of delivery drivers and warehouse employees, many of whom operate under third-party contracts. However, Amazon disputes the union's representation, arguing that the drivers are employed by independent contractors, not the company itself.
"We are struggling and fighting for basic benefits and needs that are otherwise an industry standard," said Luke Cianciotto, a striking delivery driver in Skokie, Illinois. "Many of us don't even have 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, for its part, downplayed the impact of the strikes on its operations. "This is another attempt to push a false narrative," said Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson. "the Teamsters don't represent any Amazon employees despite their claims to the contrary. This entire narrative is a PR play and the Teamsters' conduct this past year, and this week is illegal."
The labor dispute hinges on the union's effort to classify Amazon as a joint employer of the drivers, a designation that would compel the company to negotiate directly with the workers. While the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued rulings supporting the union's position, Amazon has challenged these decisions in court.
The strikes come amid heightened financial scrutiny of Amazon, which reported $39.2 billion in net income during the first nine months of 2024, more than double the figure from the same period last year. Revenue for the year so far has reached $450.2 billion, making Amazon the world's second-largest private company by revenue.
"It's no longer going to be packages over people, profit over people," said striking driver Ash'shura Brooks. " It's people over packages, people over profits."
Amazon's contentious relationship with labor unions has been on display since April 2022, when workers at its Staten Island warehouse voted to join the Amazon Labor Union (ALU), which has since affiliated with the Teamsters. Despite this victory, Amazon has repeatedly challenged the election results and resisted recognizing the union.
The Staten Island facility was not among the sites participating in Thursday's strike, despite the union previously authorizing walkouts there. The Teamsters did not provide an explanation for its absence from the strike actions.
Amazon insists it values its workforce, stating, "Our employees have a choice of whether or not to join a union. We favor opportunities for each person to be respected and valued as an individual and to have their unique voice heard by working directly with our team," Nantel said.
