Thousands of Amazon employees have called off their days-long walkout, the Teamsters union announced. However, tensions still exist, and the union says that its work is far from done.
A union representative said in a statement that “there is no doubt that the Teamsters will never give up and that workers will never stop fighting for their rights at Amazon.” “Remain attentive.”
Late last week, during the peak of the holiday package season, thousands of Amazon delivery drivers in a few states went on strike. The walkout ended on Christmas Eve. At least 200 facilities around the country were the site of Teamsters protests, but only nine of them—from Queens, New York, to San Francisco—had striking employees.
Amazon has maintained that the halt had no impact on any of its deliveries or operations.
Less than 1% of Amazon’s US workforce, or 7,000 employees nationwide, are allegedly represented by the union. Amazon employs 740,000 people across 1,000 warehouses and distribution centres, making it the second-largest private employer in the country.
Citing the online retailer’s enormous profits in recent years, the protesting employees called for improved pay and benefits. Due in part to robust e-commerce sales, Amazon reported substantial earnings growth in the third quarter.
Tough working conditions have also been a grievance for striking employees.
“The salary should be increased. Thomas Hickman, a 34-year-old Georgia delivery driver for Amazon, previously told CNN that the health insurance needed to be improved.
“We require improved working conditions. We need someone to aid us and ride with us if we do have more than 400 packages.”
However, the union claims that Amazon has not cooperated.
Even though they drive the company’s trucks, wear uniforms bearing the Amazon logo, and deliver exclusively items purchased on Amazon.com, Amazon does not view its drivers as workers. Instead, the business calls them “Delivery Service Partners,” employees hired by separate outside businesses.
In a prior comment to CNN, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said, “There are a lot of nuances here, but I want to be clear: the Teamsters don’t represent any Amazon employees despite their claims to the contrary.
“The Teamsters’ actions this week and last year are unlawful, and the entire story is a public relations ploy.”
Amazon acknowledges the workers at its Staten Island warehouse and its San Bernardino, California, air hub as employees, albeit not union members, despite claiming that the majority of the strikers shouldn’t be regarded as employees because they are contractors’ drivers.
In April 2022, Staten Island workers voted for the Amazon Labour Union to represent them. Even though the National Labour Relations Board recognised the outcome of that vote, Amazon is still contesting it in court and refuses to acknowledge the union’s victory. Additionally, Amazon does not think that the union members’ vote earlier this year to switch from the ALU to the Teamsters was legally enforceable.
Additionally, no official vote has been held in San Bernardino, despite the Teamsters announcing earlier this month that the majority of staff members signed cards expressing their desire to join the Teamsters.
Nevertheless, the Teamsters claimed that the most recent demonstration ensured that their “message was heard loud and clear.”
