Amazon.com workers at seven U.S. facilities walked off their jobs early on Thursday during the holiday shopping rush, as workers protested what they said was unfair treatment of its employees by the retail giant.
Warehouse workers in cities including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco took part in the strike, which Teamsters officials described as the largest strike ever against Amazon – but is expected to have little impact on the company’s extensive shipping operations.
CBC News reached out to Amazon and asked whether the strike would impact its Canadian operations.
“There were no strikes and no operational impact in Canada,” a spokesman said.
As the world’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon has long been a target of unions who say the company’s emphasis on ever-increasing speed and efficiency can lead to injuries. The company says it pays industry-leading wages and uses automation to reduce recurring stress.
Amazon shares rose 1.8 percent on Thursday afternoon.
Workers told Reuters they want Amazon to come to the negotiating table and acknowledge pressure to meet demands that impact their health. However, the strikers represent only a small number of the more than 800,000 people Amazon employs in more than 600 U.S. fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day facilities.
“(Amazon) acts as if there is no quota system, but there is a rigorous quota system that unnaturally pushes people beyond their actual physical limits,” said Jordan Soreff, 63, who delivers about 300 packages a day for Amazon New Yorkers Queens and Brooklyn boroughs.
“The more you do, the more is expected of you.”
Soreff was one of about 100 people outside the Amazon facility in Queens, including many Teamsters members who don’t work for Amazon. However, the facility continued to operate, with other drivers driving trucks to work and then leaving, supported by police who prevented protesters from blocking the drivers.
Amazon accuses the union of intentionally misleading the public
The Teamsters “intentionally misled the public” and “threatened, intimidated, and attempted to force” employees and third-party drivers to join them, an Amazon spokesman said.
Amazon has multiple locations in many metropolitan areas in the US and is therefore protected from possible disruptions. The company has said it does not expect any impact to 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.
“It is possible that there will be occasional delays. I just don’t think there will be any material impact,” said Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion U.S. investment to increase wages for fulfillment and transportation workers in the United States, increasing employees’ base pay by at least $1.50 to about $22 per hour increase.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters had given Amazon a Dec. 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 disputes that, saying there were no elections or collective bargaining for the locations.
