Amazon workers at several U.S. warehouses are set to strike on Thursday morning, challenging the company during the peak holiday season.
The strike, led by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, affects facilities in New York City, Skokie (Illinois), Atlanta, San Francisco, and Southern California. Unionized workers, demanding better wages and working conditions, represent about 1% of Amazon’s U.S. hourly workforce, but the strike still poses a significant challenge for the company.
The Teamsters represent around 10,000 workers at 10 U.S. facilities, with workers from seven sites voting to strike. Amazon, however, disputes the union’s claims and has accused the Teamsters of illegal coercion. The union had given Amazon a deadline to negotiate, but the company failed to respond. Experts suggest Amazon is unlikely to negotiate, as it has ignored similar demands from workers in the past.
This strike is part of a broader wave of labor actions against Amazon, including previous walkouts in Spain and Germany and ongoing efforts to unionize U.S. warehouses. In response, Amazon has pointed to its pay increases and its preference for direct communication with workers, while continuing to challenge union drives in court.
