Striking Amazon workers and their supporters picketed outside the company’s Skokie facility on Thursday. With less than a week before the holiday shopping rush ends, the strike, which began Thursday morning, involved workers at six Amazon facilities across New York, Atlanta, and California. The duration of the strike remains unclear. Several dozen workers, bundled in winter attire, marched outside the Skokie facility carrying signs protesting Amazon’s labor practices. An Amazon spokesperson stated that the multi-state strikes had not impacted the company’s operations.
Hundreds of workers at the Skokie delivery station DIL7 voted on Monday to authorize the strike. This station serves thousands of Chicago-area households, according to the Teamsters union, which represents hundreds of Skokie delivery drivers. These workers, organized this summer, are demanding union recognition and a contract from Amazon. Gabriel Irizarry, a driver at DIL7, commented in a Thursday news release: “Amazon is one of the biggest, richest corporations in the world…but when it comes down to it, Amazon does not respect us and our right to negotiate for better working conditions and wages. We can’t even afford to pay our bills.”
Nearly 10,000 Amazon workers nationwide have joined the Teamsters at 10 different sites, demanding higher wages, better benefits, and improved safety conditions. This represents a fraction of Amazon’s 800,000 operations employees in the United States. Picketing also occurred at other Amazon facilities in New York City, Atlanta, Southern California, and San Francisco.
Amazon has not recognized the union at the Skokie facility. A company spokesperson, Eileen Hards, stated on Tuesday that the striking drivers are subcontractors for third-party delivery companies and therefore not Amazon employees, negating any obligation to negotiate. Hards added that previous strikes at other Amazon sites had not affected operations. However, the Teamsters stated that other Amazon Teamsters are prepared to join the picketing, with local unions establishing primary picket lines at numerous Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien issued a statement on Thursday blaming Amazon’s “insatiable greed” for potential holiday package delays. He stated that Amazon ignored a deadline to negotiate, pushing workers to the limit. The union had given Amazon a December 15th deadline to begin contract negotiations, a deadline the company ignored. This refusal to negotiate, coupled with the company’s alleged illegal refusal to recognize the union, prompted the strike according to a Monday statement from the Teamsters.
Amazon recently announced record sales during Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday, and strong third-quarter net sales and income growth. Despite this, workers like Riley Holzworth emphasize the financial struggles faced by many Amazon employees, stating that they must fight for better treatment.
Amazon’s spokesperson, Hards, countered the Teamsters’ claims, accusing the union of misleading the public and illegally threatening and intimidating Amazon employees and third-party drivers. The company also stated that the picketers were largely “outsiders,” not Amazon employees or partners. The Teamsters, however, contend that Amazon’s subcontractor model allows the company to avoid responsibility for driver wages, working conditions, and safety while maintaining total control. A National Labor Relations Board investigation in California this summer found preliminary evidence suggesting Amazon is a joint employer of its subcontractor drivers and has a legal duty to bargain with the Teamsters.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million people across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.