Amazon Confronts Potential US Strike Ahead of Christmas

After Teamsters union members voted in favor of industrial action, US Amazon employees may go on strike before Christmas.

The employees claim that the online retailer has disregarded their union’s request for recognition and a deadline of December 15th for contract negotiations.

According to a Teamsters statement, Amazon’s facilities in Southern California, New York, and Illinois may be impacted.

As stated by Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien, “The corporate elitists who run Amazon are leaving workers with no choice.”

“Amazon needs to answer to both its employees and customers. “Amazon will go on strike if its employees are compelled to stand on the picket line,” he continued.

The group claimed to speak for thousands of employees at ten Amazon locations in the US.

Although the union “has continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’,” according to Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards. They don’t.

“The Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal” , she stated.

The e-commerce behemoth forces its US warehouse employees to complete orders at speeds that may result in high injury rates, according to the findings of a congressional probe earlier this week.

According to the probe headed by Democrat Senator Bernie Sanders, the corporation had declined to implement safety-enhancing measures due to profit-related concerns.

The study, according to Amazon, contained “selective, outdated information that lacks context and isn’t grounded in reality” and was “wrong on the facts”.

For years, the corporation, which has over 800,000 employees in the US, has been accused of creating dangerous conditions in its warehouses.

During the Covid epidemic, when e-commerce took off and its employees protested globally, such worries intensified.

Jeff Bezos, the business’s founder, stated that the corporation needed to improve staff performance amid the scandal.

Known for his pro-worker views, Senator Sanders began looking into Amazon’s business practices in June 2023. More than 1,000 documents were examined and 135 interviews were conducted by Senate officials.

According to their review of public statistics, Amazon-run warehouses reported more injuries in 2023—more than 30% higher than the industry average.