Amazon Workers Strike Enters Second Day as Union Claims “Momentum Continues to Mount”
The strike by Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters’ union, which began Thursday, is entering its second day, with the union claiming that “momentum continues to mount” as workers seek “fair treatment” from the online retailer. The strike, which the Teamsters refer to as the largest strike in history, has seen thousands of workers walk off their jobs at facilities in New York City, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco, and Illinois, among others.
Teamsters President Sean M. O’Brien is expected to join a picket line in California’s City of Industry on Friday. Despite Amazon’s claims that the strikes will not impact operations, the union says that local unions are picketing hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. In a statement, O’Brien said, “The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped.”
Amazon, on the other hand, has maintained that the strikes are being attended by outside organizers and that the vast majority of employees and drivers who deliver on its behalf have come to work to do their jobs. The company has also claimed that it has not seen an impact on deliveries, but a union representative attributed any potential delays to “Amazon’s insatiable greed.”
The strike comes during the busiest shopping season of the year, less than a week before Christmas, and has raised concerns about the potential for package delays. Amazon’s stock climbed 1.26% on Thursday, despite the strike, and was down 2% in premarket trading on Friday. The company’s market cap is $2.35 trillion.
The dispute is also part of a broader workers’ rights issue, as the Teamsters aim to improve working conditions and benefits for Amazon workers. The National Labor Relations Board officially certified the union representing workers, but Amazon has appealed that ruling. The union has also accused Amazon of ignoring a Sunday deadline for contract negotiations to begin.
