Thousands of Amazon workers go on strike Thursday

The Teamsters union says thousands of workers at Amazon plan to strike beginning Thursday morning, as they seek better pay, safer conditions and longer breaks.

The union says workers in New York City, Atlanta, California and Illinois are joining the picket line. Warehouse workers and drivers at other facilities are prepared to strike, as well.

The strike comes amid a key shopping period, but there has been no word on how long the strike is expected to last.

"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said in a statement. "We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it."

Amazon workers in Staten Island, New York, became the first to unionize in 2022. But Amazon has continuously fought the decision in court, arguing that union leaders influenced how workers voted, an argument the National Labor Relations Board dismissed almost two years ago. 

They began as a small, independent union called the Amazon Labor Union, but in June, affiliated with the Teamsters, which represents 1.3 million people across the U.S. and Canada.

The Teamsters had given Amazon a December 15 deadline to come to the table to bargain a contract with thousands of workers in Amazon facilities -- including warehouse workers and delivery drivers. Amazon disputes the Teamsters' claim that they even represent some of those workers.

"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 don't," wrote spokesperson Eileen Hards in a statement last week.

Amazon also accused the Teamsters of illegally threatening and coercing workers to join their union.

Gabriel Irizarry, a driver who works in Skokie, Ill., said in a statement provided by the Teamsters. "Amazon is one of the biggest, richest corporations in the world. They talk a big game about taking care of their workers, but when it comes down to it, Amazon does not respect us and our right to negotiate for better working conditions and wages. We can't even afford to pay our bills."

Leah Pensler, a warehouse worker in San Francisco, added in the same Teamsters statement: "What we're doing is historic. We are fighting against a vicious union-busting campaign, and we are going to win."