Amazon Workers Organize Largest Strike in American History
Thousands of Amazon workers across the United States are planning to go on strike in a historic event that began on Thursday. The workers, represented by the Teamsters union, are walking off the job at seven facilities in cities such as Skokie, Illinois; New York City; Atlanta; San Francisco; and Southern California. The strike is the largest against Amazon in American history.
The workers are protesting the company’s refusal to negotiate new contracts for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. Amazon had ignored the union’s deadline of December 15 to come to the table and address these demands. Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said, “These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price.”
The strike is expected to cause delays in package delivery and other operations, which Teamsters union says is the fault of Amazon’s greed. O’Brien said, “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it.”
Amazon, on the other hand, claims that the Teamsters union is misleading the public by saying it represents Amazon employees and drivers, which is not true. The company says it doesn’t expect any impact on its operations and that team members are already offered competitive pay, immediate health benefits, a 401k match, and career growth opportunities.
The strike has garnered support from workers at other facilities who are preparing to join the picket lines. One driver at DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois, said, “Amazon is one of the biggest, richest corporations in the world, but when it comes down to it, Amazon does not respect us and our right to negotiate for better working conditions and wages. We can’t even afford to pay our bills.”
