Just in time for the peak holiday season, members of the Teamsters union have voted to authorize a strike against Amazon across New York, Chicago, and Atlanta warehouses.
Amazon employees gave the company until December 15 to agree to begin negotiating a first contract with the Amazon Labor Union—an action that has been years in the making. However, the multinational giant still hasn’t followed through.
This strike is a push for improved pay, safety, and job security.
“Amazon’s so-called ‘leaders’ should treat their workers fairly—they just want to put food on the table for their families,” Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said in a statement. “Instead, Amazon executives risk ruining the holidays for their customers because of their addiction to putting profits over people.”
In addition to its Staten Island warehouse—the first location where workers voted to join a union in 2022—members of the Teamsters have also approved strikes at facilities in Queens, Chicago, and Atlanta. However, despite the strikes occurring during the peak of the shopping season, Amazon claims they won’t have disastrous effects.
“This most recent round of protests has not impacted our operations—it’s only inconvenienced our employees and partners,” Eileen Hards, a spokesperson for Amazon, said in a statement to CNN.
Amazon clearly shows no willingness to negotiate with the union or its employees. Perhaps they need to learn from Scrooge’s lessons.
Riley Holzworth, an Amazon driver who voted in favor of the strike, shared a bleak statement in response to the ongoing tension between Amazon and its workers: “Amazon is one of the biggest companies on Earth, but we are struggling to pay our bills.”
The post Amazon Workers Are Preparing to Strike Ahead of the Holiday Rush appeared first on VICE.
The post Amazon Workers Are Preparing to Strike Ahead of the Holiday Rush appeared first on VICE.
