Amazon Workers Across Seven Facilities Go on Strike to Demand Better Benefits and Wages
Amazon workers across seven facilities in New York, Georgia, California, and Illinois are on strike, demanding better benefits, higher wages, and safer working conditions. The strike, organized by the Teamsters union, aims to pressure Amazon to come to the negotiating table and avoid disruptions during the peak of the holiday shopping season.
The Teamsters had given Amazon until Sunday to agree to bargaining dates for a contract, but the company has yet to respond. The union represents thousands of employees and drivers, but Amazon claims the majority of the protesters are outsiders who have been brought in to harass and intimidate its employees.
In a statement, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien accused Amazon of ignoring the deadline and claimed, “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed.” Amazon, on the other hand, accused the Teamsters of intentionally misleading the public and trying to disrupt its operations.
The strike, which is the largest against Amazon in American history, represents less than 1% of the company’s workforce of 1.53 million employees. Amazon has long opposed unionization efforts, but warehouse workers on New York’s Staten Island voted to join a union in 2022, marking a significant defeat for the company. The Teamsters say they will continue to fight for better working conditions and more rights for Amazon employees.