Amazon faces a strike threat in the US before Christmas
Amazon workers in the US may go on strike before Christmas, after truck drivers’ union members voted to support industrial action.
The workers say the online retail giant has refused to recognize their union and ignored a December 15 deadline for talks on their contract.
Amazon facilities in Southern California, New York and Illinois may be affected, according to a Teamsters statement.
“The corporate elite that runs Amazon leave workers no choice,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said.
He added: “Amazon must bear responsibility to workers and consumers alike. If workers are forced to picket, Amazon will strike itself.”
The union said it represents thousands of workers at 10 Amazon facilities across the United States.
But Amazon spokeswoman Eileen Hards said the union “has continued to intentionally mislead the public — claiming it represents ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ But they don’t.”
“The Teamsters have threatened, intimidated, and attempted to force Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal,” she added.
Earlier this week, A Congressional investigation It concluded that the e-commerce giant is pushing its warehouse workers in the United States to fulfill orders at speeds that may cause infection rates to rise.
The investigation led by Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders also said the company refused to make changes to improve safety because of concerns about its profits.
Amazon said the report is “factually incorrect” and contains “selective and outdated information that lacks context and is not based on reality.”
The company, which employs nearly 800,000 people in the United States, has faced accusations about unsafe conditions in its warehouses for years.
These concerns increased during the Covid pandemic, when e-commerce exploded, leading to worker protests around the world.
Amid the controversy, founder Jeff Bezos said the company needs to improve the performance of its employees.
Senator Sanders, known for his pro-labor stance, launched an investigation into Amazon’s practices in June 2023. Senate staff conducted 135 interviews and reviewed more than 1,000 documents.
Their analysis of public records found that Amazon-operated warehouses recorded 30% more infections than the warehousing industry average in 2023.