Striking Amazon Workers Picket Outside Warehouses in US
Striking Amazon workers picketed outside warehouses in several US cities on Thursday, aiming to pressure the retailer into contract talks with their union. The strike, which involves about 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities, is the largest strike against the company, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The walkout, which began during the holiday shopping rush, is a result of a deadline given by the Teamsters to Amazon to begin negotiations, which the company ignored. The union said that Amazon’s “insatiable greed” was to blame for the delays and that the strike was a result of the company’s refusal to come to the table.
Amazon, however, does not expect the strike to have an impact on its operations during the busy holiday season. The company’s shares were trading 1.5% higher in premarket hours, indicating that investors do not expect a significant disruption from the strike.
The Teamsters have given Amazon a deadline of December 15 to begin negotiations, and warehouse workers recently voted to authorize a strike. The union is demanding better wages, benefits, and working conditions for Amazon’s hourly workers.
Amazon has responded to the strike by accusing the Teamsters of “intentionally misleading the public” and “threatening, intimidating and attempting to coerce” employees and third-party drivers to join the strike.
The company has also been involved in legal challenges over recent unionization efforts, including a 2022 union vote in Staten Island and a federal lawsuit filed in September. Amazon has also announced a $2.1 billion investment to raise pay for fulfillment and transportation employees in the US, increasing base wages for employees by at least $1.50 to around $22 per hour, a roughly 7% increase.
