Amazon Workers to Strike Amid Holiday Rush

By Greg Bensinger

Thousands of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) workers are set to strike Thursday morning as union officials claim the retailer has failed to negotiate contracts. This walkout occurs during Amazon's busiest holiday season, posing a significant challenge to its operations.

Union-represented facilities make up only about 1% of Amazon's hourly workforce. In the NYC area alone, Amazon operates several warehouses and delivery depots. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced that workers from various facilities in NYC, Skokie, Illinois, Atlanta, San Francisco, and southern California will join the picket line to demand better wages and working conditions.

The Teamsters represent around 10,000 workers at 10 U.S. facilities, with seven sites participating in the strike. An Amazon spokesperson did not provide comments on the situation. The union had previously set a deadline for contract negotiations, followed by a vote among workers to authorize a strike.

Teamsters local unions are also establishing picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers across the country. Experts suggest that Amazon is unlikely to negotiate, as agreeing to talks could potentially invite further union actions.

Benjamin Sachs, a Harvard Law School professor, criticized Amazon's strategy of ignoring workers' rights to organize, noting that more than two years after a Staten Island warehouse became the first U.S. site to vote to unionize, Amazon has not yet recognized the union.

Right to Organize

Although Amazon maintains that it prefers direct relationships with its employees, the company has actively challenged union efforts while claiming to support workers' rights to organize. Amazon has lodged objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding the 2022 Staten Island union election. The company has also questioned the constitutionality of the NLRB in a recent federal lawsuit.

The Teamsters assert that the Staten Island facility could join the strike, alongside other facilities that previously voted to do so. Experts indicate that legal pressure is minimal, making Amazon less likely to negotiate with the Teamsters currently. Successful strategies employed by Amazon have led to a lack of constraints in addressing workers' demands.

In recent years, Amazon has faced labor protests globally over pay and working conditions. As the world’s second-largest private employer, the company is a prime target for unions, with workers citing stress-related injuries due to the company's speed and efficiency demands. Despite these claims, Amazon boasts industry-leading wages and efforts to automate work tasks.

Upcoming union actions loom as workers at a Philadelphia Whole Foods seek union elections. Additionally, an Alabama warehouse has been ordered to hold a third union election after a judge ruled Amazon acted unlawfully to hinder unionization in the past. Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion plan to boost U.S. employee wages by at least $1.50, raising base pay to approximately $22 per hour, reflecting a roughly 7% increase.