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One of America's most powerful unions is staging a protest against Amazon, aiming to pressure the tech giant as it rushes to release packages in the run-up to Christmas.
The Teamsters union said Amazon delivery drivers at seven factories walked off the job Thursday after the company refused to negotiate with the union over a labor contract.
Teamsters members were protesting at “hundreds” of other Amazon locations, according to the union, which described it as the “largest strike” in U.S. history involving the company.
The company, which employs about 800,000 people in the United States, said its services would not be interrupted.
“What you see here are almost entirely outsiders – not Amazon employees or partners – and any suggestion to the contrary is just another lie from the Teamsters,” Amazon said in a statement.
It is unclear how many people participated in Thursday's action.
The Teamsters union said it represents “nearly 10,000” Amazon workers, after recruiting thousands at a dozen sites across the country, many in recent months.
The organization demanded recognition of the company and accused Amazon of illegally ignoring its duty to collectively bargain over wages and working conditions.
“They pushed the workers to the limit and now they are paying the price. This strike is against them,” said the union's general president, Sean O'Brien.
“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed.”
The Teamsters are a well-known American union, with over a million members in total. He is known for winning strong contracts for members of companies such as delivery giant UPS.
Most of the Teamsters' Amazon campaigns have involved drivers technically employed by third-party delivery companies that work with the tech giant.
Amazon denies being liable as an employer in these cases, an issue that is currently the subject of legal dispute. Union officials have previously sided with the union on this issue in at least one case.
Amazon employees at a major warehouse on Staten Island in New York have also agreed to affiliate with the Teamsters.
Their warehouse is the only Amazon site in the United States where a union victory has been officially ratified by union officials.
But little progress has been made on contract negotiations since the 2022 vote. It was not among the sites listed as being on strike Thursday.
Amazon, one of the largest employers in the United States, has long faced criticism over its working conditions and has been a target of activists hoping to make inroads among its workers.
His staunch opposition to unionization efforts has also been called into question.
But it's not the only company facing pressure over its refusal to negotiate a contract years after unionization efforts began.
At Starbucks, where the first coffee shop voted to unionize in 2021, workers also recently authorized a strike, accusing the company of dragging its feet in negotiations.
