The International Brotherhood of Teamsters on Thursday announced an expansion of its strikes against Amazon, greatly increasing work stoppages against the retail giant.
The union said the walkouts are spreading into four states: Georgia, Kentucky, California and New York.
The strikes are part of a greater labor organization effort by the Teamsters that began in June when 100 Teamster-affiliated Amazon delivery drivers initiated a work stoppage.
“The Teamsters Union will organize every Amazon driver in North America,” the union said in a statement. “And workers will secure all the rights, respect, wages, benefits and job protections they’ve earned.”
Unionization efforts at Amazon have increased since June, with Amazon Labor Union members voting to affiliate with the Teamsters that month.
The Teamsters’ interest in organizing workers at Amazon comes amid stagnation. After organizing the company’s JFK8 warehouse in 2022, pro-union workers at Amazon have failed to win another union election or secure a contract for the New York City site.
Last week, with the help of the Teamsters, the National Labor Relations Board ruled in favor of Amazon drivers at a Palmdale, California, facility. The NLRB ruled that Amazon is a joint employer of its Delivery Service Partner drivers, meaning it must bargain with the Teamsters Union.
Amazon has denied all allegations of unfair labor practices made by the Teamsters and expects the charges to be dismissed.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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