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Amazon.com workers at seven US facilities walked off the job early Thursday during the holiday shopping rush as workers protest what they say is the retail giant’s unfair treatment of their employees.
Warehouse workers in cities including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco were participating in what Teamsters officials called the largest-ever strike against Amazon, but which is unlikely to cause an impact on the company’s extensive shipping operations. the company
CBC News has reached out to Amazon to ask if the strike would affect its Canadian operations.
“There have been no strikes in Canada or operational impacts,” a spokesman said.
As the world’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon has long been a target for unions who say the company’s emphasis on ever-faster speed and efficiency can lead to injuries. The company says it pays industry-leading wages and uses automation designed to reduce repetitive stress.
Amazon shares were up 1.8 percent Thursday afternoon.
Workers told Reuters they want Amazon to come to the bargaining table and recognize the pressure to meet demands that affect their health. However, the strikers represent a small number of the more than 800,000 people employed by Amazon at more than 600 fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day facilities across the United States.
“(Amazon) pretends there’s no quota system, but there is a rigorous quota system that pushes people beyond their actual physical limits in an unnatural way,” said Jordan Soreff, 63, who delivers about 300 packages a day for Amazon. New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.
“The more you do, the more you are expected to do.”
Soreff was one of 100 people outside the Amazon facility in Queens, including many Teamsters members who do not work for Amazon. However, the facility continued to operate, with other drivers coming in for work and then leaving in trucks, aided by police who prevented protesters from blocking the drivers.
Amazon accuses the union of intentionally misleading the public
The Teamsters have “intentionally misled the public” and “threatened, intimidated and attempted to coerce” third-party employees and drivers into joining them, an Amazon spokesman said.
Amazon has multiple locations in many US metro areas, protecting it from potential disruptions. The company has said it does not expect any effect on operations during one of the busiest times of the year. In 2023, the company sold more than 500 million items from independent sellers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
“There may be some isolated incidents of delay. I just don’t think there will be a material impact,” said Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion investment in the U.S. to raise the pay of fulfillment and shipping employees in the U.S., increasing the employees’ base wages by at least $1.50 to about $22 per hour
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters had given Amazon a December 15 deadline to begin negotiations, but that day passed without talks. The Teamsters say they represent 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities, but the e-commerce giant denies that, saying there have been no elections or bargaining orders for the locations.
