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Amazon.com workers at seven U.S. facilities walked off the job early Thursday during the holiday shopping rush as workers protested what they say is the retail giant’s unfair treatment of its employees.
Warehouse workers in cities including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco were participating in what Teamsters officials called the largest strike ever against Amazon, but one that will have little impact on the company’s extensive shipping operations.
CBC News reached out to Amazon to ask if the strike would affect its Canadian operations.
“There have been no attacks in Canada or operational impacts,” a spokesperson said.
As the world’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon has long been the target of 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 rose 1.8 percent Thursday afternoon.
Workers told Reuters they want Amazon to come to the negotiating table and acknowledge 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 delivery facilities in the United States.
“(Amazon) pretends there isn’t a 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 in the Queens and Brooklyn boroughs of New York City.
“The more you do, the more you are expected to do.”
Soreff was one of about 100 people outside the Amazon facility in Queens, including many Teamsters members who do not work for Amazon. However, the facilities continued to operate and other drivers went to work and then left in trucks, assisted by police, who prevented protesters from blocking the drivers.
Amazon accuses union of intentionally misleading the public
The Teamsters have “intentionally misled the public” and “threatened, intimidated and attempted to coerce” employees and outside drivers into joining them, an Amazon spokesperson said.
Amazon has multiple locations in many US metropolitan 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 during 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 to boost wages for fulfillment and transportation employees in the United States, raising employees’ base salaries by at least $1.50 to around $22 per month. hour.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters had given Amazon a deadline of December 15 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 disputes that, saying there have been no elections or bargaining orders for the locations.
