New York: Amazon.com workers across seven U.S. facilities walked off the job on Thursday, intensifying protests during the peak holiday shopping season. The workers accuse the retail giant of unfair labor practices, targeting its treatment of employees amid escalating demands.
The strike, involving warehouse workers in cities such as New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco, was described by Teamsters officials as the largest-ever coordinated action against Amazon. Despite this, the company’s extensive logistics network appears resilient to disruption.
Striking Amazon workers say the retail giant treats employees unfairly https://t.co/I4JiB3jCvq pic.twitter.com/7bjklawvCr
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 20, 2024
As the world’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon has been under consistent scrutiny from labor unions. These groups criticize the company’s drive for speed and efficiency, arguing it leads to workplace injuries. Amazon counters these claims, asserting it offers industry-leading wages and employs automation to mitigate repetitive stress.
By Thursday afternoon, Amazon shares had risen 1.8%, signaling investor confidence in the company’s ability to weather such disruptions.
Workers participating in the strike expressed concerns over high quotas and the physical toll of their jobs. “(Amazon) pretends there isn’t a quota system, but there’s a rigorous quota system that pushes people beyond their real physical limits in an unnatural way,” said Jordan Soreff, a 63-year-old delivery driver in New York City. Soreff, who delivers approximately 300 packages daily, joined around 100 protesters at a Queens facility, many of whom were Teamsters members not directly employed by Amazon. Despite the demonstrations, the facility remained operational with police assisting drivers in navigating the protests.
An Amazon spokesperson accused the Teamsters of “intentionally misleading the public” and employing coercive tactics to recruit participants. The company maintains that it anticipates no significant operational disruptions during the critical holiday season, citing its decentralized network of facilities.
Also Read | Senators Urge Biden to Extend TikTok Sale Deadline Amid Legal Uncertainty
In 2023, Amazon reported record-breaking sales during Black Friday and Cyber Monday, moving over 500 million items from independent sellers. Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff noted, “It is possible there may be some isolated incidents of delay, but I just do not think there will be a material impact.”
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion initiative to raise wages for fulfillment and transportation workers in the U.S., boosting base pay to an average of $22 per hour. Despite these measures, the Teamsters allege Amazon missed a December 15 deadline to begin negotiations and claim to represent 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon locations. Amazon disputes this, stating there have been no formal union elections or bargaining agreements at those sites.
Union Resistance Persists
Unionization efforts have gained momentum in various industries, with workers in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and rail achieving significant gains. Strikes have also affected companies such as Starbucks and Boeing this year. However, Amazon remains resistant to unionization, refusing to recognize the first facility to vote for a union in Staten Island in 2022. The company has challenged the legitimacy of that vote and has filed a lawsuit questioning the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
Also Read | China’s Xi Urges Macau to Align with National Development Strategies
In San Francisco, approximately three dozen protesters gathered at an Amazon facility, with only 15 to 20 identified as employees, according to a Teamsters organizer. Among them was Janeé Roberts, a 30-year-old part-time worker, who highlighted safety concerns and inadequate benefits. “Not only do I look at my coworkers and see the wear and tear it takes on their bodies, but we’re not even given proper benefits as part-timers,” she said.
Amazon faces additional union challenges, including a recent petition for a union election at a Philadelphia Whole Foods location. International solidarity actions have also emerged, with Germany’s United Services Union announcing strikes at Amazon warehouses in support of the Teamsters.
