Amazon Workers Launch Historic Strike to Demand New Contracts & End Unsafe Labor Practices

Thousands of Amazon workers on Thursday launched the largest strike against the retail giant in U.S. history, pressuring the company at the height of the holiday period to follow the law and bargain with those who have organized with the Teamsters union. The strike includes warehouse workers and drivers at seven distribution centers in some of Amazon's largest markets, including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco; Teamsters have also set up picket lines at many other warehouses nationwide. "We're engaging in a coordinated action to try to put the pressure on Amazon to stop breaking the law, come to the table," says Connor Spence, president of Amazon Labor Union-IBT Local 1, which represents workers in New York. "This is an unfair labor practice strike over their refusal to bargain." We also speak with Ronald Sewell, an Amazon associate in Georgia, who says workplace safety is a major driver of worker discontent, including insufficient access to water and overheating. "The danger is real. It's not something that we're making up," says Sewell.

[DemocracyNow]

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[CBT]

The whole country needs to go on strike.

[lisae]

I’m not ordering anything for Christmas off of Amazon this year and I hope others will follow suit. We all should be saving our money for the upcoming recession and maybe even worse.

[Roguefem]

I had a brief stint at working for Amazon and none of this surprises me. No company should have so much power.

[go]

That is the only way. These issues of corporate greed will continue unless they don’t have a work force.

[lrsvgn]

Corporate media is focusing on the problem that packages are not arriving on time.
We need more Democracy Now!

[rhodeislandhiker]

They are saying people who work in Amazon warehouses are not Amazon workers, people who drive Amazon trucks are not Amazon workers . Then please show me some Amazon workers ? Because all their support staff and Customer service staff is over seas so they are not Amazon workers. I work Amazon flex we are not Amazon workers either . Amazon needs to take care of the people who work for them

[Ani_Watermelon]

Next, waiters and waitresses. They should be paid accordingly, and not depend their livelihood on tips. It's the USA! The 3rd world countries even pay (service people) better than you do. Really embarrassing.

[TheeOldest]

People over Packages!!! Boycott Amazon!!!

[NanayLV]

"RICH MAN VS. POOR PEOPLE"

[Karma]

Everyone I know who has ever worked at Amazon and their fulfillment center has incurred some type of physical injury in less than two years of being employed there. And I don’t mean some basic injury I mean a life changing muscles, torn bones, broken screws, inserted injury. So when you can sit and how hard these people work their bodies for money that they can barely live off of, they should all strike and quit.

[User_]

As a former "amazon" I can surely say that amazon needs to unionized.

[leliad]

I can wait for my packages, or purchase elsewhere, in solidarity with the workers, without whom Amazon would not exist.

[bottledrinking]

Amazon preaches about safety during orientation but neglects all of that. I’m sorry but the amount of shit that us Amazon employees do $15 is not enough. On top of that you get an hour break for more than a 10+ shift. Not to mention we’re forced to work overtime as they issue it to be mandatory. This entire month was mandatory for extra shifts because they decided to do an entire week of Black Friday and their employees pay the price. Amazon is wonderful but it can also go to hell for the shit that they pull.

[profmj]

Proud of these ppl for fighting back !!! 🫡

[candicehochberg]

Im an Amazon worker here in Little Rock Arkansas. I'm this close🤏🏽 to starting a strike here. I'm sick of this shit! Keep the rich richer. Yes we have great benefits and resources but our lives are crap! We have none. My Son is a stranger 🗣

[terrancekayton]

“They just don’t want to work.” …no! We don’t want to work in horrible working conditions and poor pay!

[MYouTubeTvGC]

I would much rather know that AMAZON employees are treated with correct working conditions and that OSHA and the government should step in those Wearhouses and collect all the money feom fines if they see violations to USA work laws and building regulations plus fire hazard.
Packages are not that important, we need to take care of USA workers and support their efforst to have a netter working place

[watermage]

Trillion dollar company abuses and exploits workers. Respect to those fighting for their rights

[buicklincoln]

The workers are contracted through "Driver Service Partners." Their employer is the individual "DSP" that gives them their paycheck every two weeks. If a DSP doesn't have enough drivers to cover their routes, the DSP owes Amazon money AND loses the route for the day. If the DSP doesn't improve performance, they can be fired by Amazon. If a DSP says to Amazon they can't do their agreed upon routes, Amazon will find another DSP or get more Amazon Flex drivers to cover the routes.