Thousands of Amazon workers strike during pre-Christmas rush

livemint.com:

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Thousands of Amazon.com workers went on strike Thursday during the crucial run-up to Christmas over contract negotiations and the company’s refusal to recognize the Teamsters labor union. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union that represents the Amazon employees, called the action the largest ever strike against Amazon by U.S.

workers. “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in a statement Thursday.

“We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it." Amazon workers at facilities across the country will be striking, the union said, including primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. The union urged nonunion Amazon warehouse workers to honor the picket lines by not working.

Workers at seven fulfillment centers located in New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco, Southern California and Skokie, Ill., would join the picket line, the Teamsters said. The strike wasn’t expected to affect operations, the company said, branding the action as an illegal public relations play. Teamsters, one of America’s largest labor unions, said it represents nearly 10,000 Amazon workers.

“They are fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer conditions at work," it said in a statement. Kelly Nantel, a spokeswoman for Amazon, said the Teamsters union had threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers. “For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public—claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ They