Frustrated workers at Amazon's largest facility in Staten Island walked off the job Saturday morning, joining a nationwide strike against the retail giant just days before Christmas.
Employees at the JFK8 fulfillment center, which employs approximately 5,500 staff, joined the picket line in solidarity with thousands of employees at warehouses across the country, including warehouses in New York City. Announced by the Teamsters Union.
Demonstrators are demanding higher wages, better benefits and better working conditions.
“We're excited to be a part of this fight,” said Valerie Strapoli, an employee at the Bloomfield store.
“Amazon has been pushing us away for a long time, but now it has momentum.”
The Teamsters union's strike, which entered its third day on Saturday, Amazon ignored the December 15 deadline. To negotiate new contracts for employees.
The union representing Staten Island workers announced Friday night that they will take part in a “historic” midnight strike.
“Amazon executives are cowards who hide behind lies, threats and intimidation to avoid their responsibilities to workers and the public,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien said in a statement. Ta.
“It takes real courage to stand up to corporate bullies, and the Amazon Teamsters are doing just that.”
Amazon warehouse workers, who voted to unionize in 2022, have been trying to force the company to negotiate contracts since last year, leading to the Teamsters filing unfair labor charges against the company, according to the Associated Press. This led to him filing a complaint with the commission.
Amazon refused to negotiate the contract, and the company filed a lawsuit alleging that the labor board's certification of the Amazon union election was constitutionally tainting the vote.
The retailer now claims those on strike are “outsiders” and accuses the Teamsters of illegally forcing workers to join a union, saying the union is not representing It disputes “thousands” of employees and drivers who claim to have done so.
“What we're looking at here are almost entirely outsiders, not Amazon employees or partners, and any suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. mentioned in.
“We appreciate the great work of our entire team in serving our customers and community, and we remain focused on securing holiday orders from our customers.”
The Teamsters claim to represent 10,000 Amazon employees, but that's just a fraction of the 1.5 million workers the company employs in its warehouses and offices.
Protesters on Staten Island received a boost from New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who joined the picket line Saturday morning.
“Amazon workers deserve higher wages and safe working conditions.” She said this in a post on X.
“I was proud to stand with striking @amazonlabor workers on Staten Island today and fight for their rights.”
Other locations protesting Jeff Bezos' companies include a warehouse in Queens, Atlanta, California, and Skokie, Illinois.
Amazon said it does not expect the strike to affect its operations, but strikes, especially strikes that last multiple days, could delay shipments in some metropolitan areas.
The Teamsters have not said how long the strike will last.
