Thousands of Amazon workers are set to strike on Thursday morning, in the final critical days of the holiday season, after union officials accused the company of failing to negotiate contracts.
The planned walkouts pose a challenge to Amazon’s operations as it races to meet customer demands during its busiest period.
However, union-represented facilities make up only about 1% of the retailer’s hourly workforce. In the New York City area alone, Amazon operates multiple warehouses and smaller delivery depots.
Unionized workers in New York City, Skokie, Illinois, Atlanta, San Francisco, and southern California will join the strike, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The union is pushing for contracts that ensure better wages and improved working conditions.
The Teamsters claim to represent approximately 10,000 Amazon workers across 10 U.S. facilities, with employees at seven of those locations set to strike.
“Teamsters local unions are also putting up picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide,” the union said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to Reuters, an Amazon spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The union had set a Sunday deadline for Amazon to initiate negotiations, and workers at several facilities recently voted to authorise the strike.
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Some experts have suggested that Amazon is unlikely to engage in negotiations, viewing such discussions as potentially encouraging further union activity.
“Amazon clearly has developed a strategy of ignoring their workers’ rights to collectively organize and negotiate,” said Benjamin Sachs, a Harvard Law School professor of labour and industry.
He noted that over two years have passed since workers at a Staten Island warehouse voted to unionise, yet Amazon has yet to recognise the group.
The company has consistently opposed unionisation efforts, preferring direct relationships with employees. Amazon has challenged union elections and filed objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), alleging bias and questioning the constitutionality of the board itself.
The Teamsters warned that additional facilities, including Staten Island and another southern California site, could join the walkout.
Despite this, legal experts believe Amazon faces little immediate pressure to negotiate. “It’s been a very successful strategy,” said Jake Rosenfeld, a Washington University sociology professor. “The work continues there, and there is still no contract.”
Amazon has faced worker protests in countries such as Spain and Germany over wages and working conditions.
While critics argue that the company’s focus on speed and efficiency results in workplace injuries, Amazon maintains that it offers industry-leading pay and invests in automation to reduce repetitive stress.
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