Mariya S. and Eduardo
Last Friday, the Teamsters Union announced that Amazon workers at two warehouses in New York City voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes. This comes after the e-commerce monopoly’s repeated refusal to negotiate contracts since workers began demanding recognition of their union at the Staten Island warehouse in April 2022—the first Amazon warehouse in the US to do so—and at the Queens warehouse this September. Yesterday, the Teamsters stated that Amazon ignored the December 15th deadline that they gave the e-commerce monopoly to begin negotiating contracts with the union. Amazon workers at four warehouses in Southern California and at a warehouse in Skokie, Illinois have also since voted to authorize strikes.
A driver at the Queens warehouse, Amazon’s largest delivery station in New York City, told The Worker his hopes for the potential strike: “I hope the strikes make Amazon treat us better. They treat us inhumanely and we’re in a First World country. Our schedules are tight, workload is always changing, AI calculates our workload so we’re basically treated as robots.” He stated that around 99% of drivers at the facility can’t take the full hour break, and 30% don’t take breaks at all due to the workload.
“It’s 9 to 5 at other jobs but 11 hours is normal here,” another driver said. “We deliver over 200 packages a day, it’s a lot. A boss told us yesterday that people used to do 400 a day and said that we’re lucky and we have it good,” he chuckled. He recounted how he was fired from his last Amazon job: “They gave me a bunch of packages and there was no one at the address so I did what I was supposed to do, but the next week they didn’t put me in the schedule and then they called me and told me I’m fired. It was a wrongful termination, I didn’t even get a warning, they’re supposed to give you a warning first.” Another driver explained the surveillance system used to track the drivers: “They watch your performance through the computer and send someone over to help when you’re behind, but after a few times they just write you up.”
According to the Teamsters, the injury rate for Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP) workers is double the rate for Amazon warehouse workers, which is already 70% higher than the rate at non-Amazon warehouses. The majority of injuries are heavy injuries that prevent drivers from working, such as injuries from traffic accidents, slip and fall accidents, and back strains.
Amazon has repeatedly ignored workers’ demands for their union to be recognized, as another driver described: “Amazon can further bend the rules because they say we’re in contract with the DSP and not them, even though the DSP can’t do anything without Amazon’s approval.” Last April, when DSP drivers at a delivery station in Palmdale, California voted to unionize, Amazon cut the contract with the DSP in an attempt to rid itself of legal responsibility to recognize and negotiate with the union. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) later ruled that the DSP and Amazon are joint employers of the drivers, and drivers have the right to bargain with Amazon. Despite this, the e-commerce monopoly continues to use this as cover to refuse negotiating with the workers.
When asked about unionization efforts, a DSP worker said, “Amazon has been saying things to scare workers from the union, like saying that you have to pay more bills. But it’s not really working. They’re doing this because they’re scared of the union, because we have more power with the union.”
Amazon has spent over $17 million on union-busting campaigns since unionization efforts picked up in 2022 following successes at the Staten Island warehouse. The company employs anti-union consultants, fires workers involved in unionization efforts, designs pacification techniques with cognitive psychologists (such as having balloon arches, raffles, thank you videos from CEOs), and replaces union flyers with anti-union propaganda in an attempt to suppress unionization efforts. Despite this, Amazon workers across the country continue to advance their struggles. In Alpharetta, Georgia, the majority of warehouse workers voted to unionize just two weeks ago, and workers in Bessemer, Alabama continue their unionization drive in preparation for their third union vote, following the first two “losses” which an administrative law judge cited last month to be rigged by Amazon’s union-busting campaigns.
Amazon-affiliated workers who do not work at the strike-authorized warehouses also expressed their support for the potential strike. When asked if workers should fight for better conditions, a truck driver in NYC who is employed by a different company contracted with Amazon part-time said, “Of course—in any work place!” He explained how worker struggles are linked, and a benefit in one place is a benefit elsewhere, stating, “We hope the good things happening at Amazon reach us.”
An Amazon warehouse worker in New Jersey also expressed his support for the potential strike at the New York warehouses, saying, “I support those strikes. People are asking for basic things like better pay and more job security. Nothing more nor nothing less. Humane things.” Another New Jersey worker highlighted that while living costs continue to surge, wages have remained stagnant: “Things are getting tough out there. Everything is becoming so expensive. Yet we work hard and are given crumbs. Not fair. Hopefully the striking changes this.”
Many Amazon workers in New Jersey also expressed how they have been inspired to replicate these efforts at their own warehouses: “Salute to them workers about to strike. All power to them. We gotta bring that striking here. That’ll scare management for sure.” While this worker expressed some concerns of retaliation, citing that “Amazon is vicious when it comes to unionizing and worker rights,” he also stated that he would “sure be down to help in unionizing this prison.” One worker highlighted how their struggles are interrelated: “Most workers, I believe, support the possible striking. And many of us want that here. Same battle they are facing, we’re facing.” Another worker agreed, noting the cruel conditions at his warehouse: “I think it’s about time. Together, united people get things done […] They should bring that striking to our warehouse to improve conditions here. Starting with management’s competitive point system.”
Drivers at the Queens facility told The Worker that truck drivers from other e-commerce and shipping monopolies have shown support for their organizing efforts. “People have been honking in support,” a driver said, “see for yourself. [UPS driver honks] Especially UPS.” When asked about his thoughts on Starbucks workers also authorizing to strike, another worker exclaimed, “we gotta come together!”
When asked if there are fears of retaliation for striking, a driver at the Queens facility said, “It’s scary because we gotta pay our bills, but it’s a chance you have to take. If we don’t take chances, nothing will change.” Many other workers highlighted the necessity to take matters into their own hands to change these conditions: “There is too much abuse going on in these warehouses and nobody is doing anything about it. It’s time we as workers are standing up […] We make sure all these gifts get to people on time for Christmas. Not Amazon’s executives. We do. The workers.”
We recommend to our readers to donate to the Amazon Labor Union strike fund here.
Photo: Amazon warehouse workers from Staten Island rally outside the NLRB in 2021. WikiCommons.
