Amid the peak holiday season, thousands of Amazon delivery drivers across the United States have gone on strike. They are raising questions about labor conditions at one of the world’s largest e-commerce companies.
The strike began early Thursday morning, organized by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union. It started with picket lines outside an Amazon facility in Queens, New York. Within hours, strikes spread to facilities in Skokie, Illinois; Alpharetta, Georgia; and various locations in California, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.
They target a total of seven Amazon facilities across New York, Illinois, Georgia, and California. The strike comes at a critical time with less than a week remaining until Christmas.
It is a period when demand for package deliveries throughout the nation remains notably high. However, Amazon is claiming that its operations and holiday deliveries will remain unaffected.
The striking workers are demanding better wages, benefits, and safer working conditions. Luke Cianciotto is a driver and union member of Teamsters in Illinois who has participated in this strike. He said,
“We are struggling for basic benefits that are industry standards elsewhere. Amazon’s profits continue to grow, but our wages remain stagnant.”
Union vs. Amazon: The conflict explored
The Teamsters union describes the strike as the largest one against Amazon in U.S. history. It was also pointed out that the global retailer brand reported $39.2 billion in net income during the first nine months of 2024, which is more than double during the same period in 2023.
Union leaders argue that these profits should result in better compensation and working conditions for drivers, which are not being taken into consideration by the authorities.
Below is what they posted via their official X (formerly Twitter) handle:
"The Teamsters will launch the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Thurs., Dec. 19. The nationwide action follows Amazon’s repeated refusal to follow the law and bargain with the thousands of Amazon workers who organized with the Teamsters."
The post also added,
"Amazon is the second-largest corporation on the Fortune 500 list. Despite being worth more than $2 trillion, the company fails to pay its workers enough to make ends meet. Nearly 10,000 Amazon workers have mobilized a movement and joined the Teamsters. They are fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer conditions at work."
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien addressed customers who might face delivery delays due to this strike, saying,
"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it."
He added,
"These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price. This strike is on them."
Amazon, however, remains firm in its stance. According to reports, the company denies being a joint employer of the striking drivers and disputes the union’s claims.
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