Amazon workers to strike at multiple US warehouses during holiday season

Amazon workers to strike at U.S. warehouses during holiday season over contract negotiations.

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Thousands of Amazon workers are set to strike on Thursday morning at several U.S. warehouses, in the crucial final days of the holiday season.

The strike comes after union officials said Amazon failed to engage in contract negotiations.

The walkout poses a significant challenge to Amazon’s operations as the company works to fulfill a high volume of orders during its busiest time of the year. However, unionized workers represent only about 1% of Amazon's hourly workforce.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced that workers at facilities in New York City; Skokie, Illinois; Atlanta; San Francisco; and southern California will participate in the strike.

The union has stated that it represents around 10,000 workers across 10 of Amazon's U.S. facilities, with workers at seven of these locations planning to join the walkout.

 

Photo: Reuters

The Teamsters' push for better wages and working conditions has been ongoing. The union had set a Sunday deadline for Amazon to begin negotiations.

Workers at unionized facilities recently voted to authorize the strike. Teamsters local unions will also be putting up picket lines at Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.

In a statement, Benjamin Sachs, a labor law professor at Harvard Law School, noted that Amazon has "developed a strategy of ignoring their workers’ rights to collectively organize and negotiate."

Sachs pointed out that even more than two years after workers at a Staten Island warehouse became the first in the U.S. to vote to unionize, Amazon has not formally recognized the union.

Amazon has consistently stated that it prefers direct relationships with its employees and respects their right to organize.

The company has also challenged unionization efforts, filing objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) regarding the 2022 Staten Island vote, citing allegations of bias by agency officials. Additionally, Amazon has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the NLRB.

The Teamsters have indicated that the Staten Island facility could join the strike, as well as another southern California location that previously voted to walk out.

Despite the Teamsters’ push, experts say Amazon is unlikely to come to the bargaining table. Jake Rosenfeld, a sociology professor at Washington University in St. Louis, explained that there has been no legal penalty for Amazon’s refusal to engage with union demands, making it likely the company will continue with its current approach.

"This has been a very successful strategy for Amazon," Rosenfeld said, referencing Amazon’s ability to continue operations without a contract at its Staten Island warehouse.

Amazon has faced similar worker actions in other countries, including Spain and Germany, due to concerns over pay and working conditions.

As the world’s second-largest private employer, Amazon has long been a target for unionization efforts. Workers have often cited concerns about high-speed work expectations, which they say can lead to injuries.

In response, Amazon has stated that it pays industry-leading wages and is continually introducing automation to reduce physical strain.

The company is also facing other union actions in the U.S. In November, workers at a Whole Foods store in Philadelphia filed to hold a union election, marking the first such effort since Amazon acquired the grocery chain in 2017.

Additionally, a U.S. administrative judge recently ordered a third union election at an Alabama warehouse, ruling that Amazon had unlawfully attempted to block the unionization effort.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion investment to raise pay for fulfillment and transportation employees. The pay increase includes a boost of at least $1.50 to base wages, raising them to around $22 per hour, or a 7% increase.