‘Historic’ Amazon Strike Begins, Including at Four Southern California Locations
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico, announced their members in Palmdale, Victorville, Industry, and San Bernardino voted to authorize strikes -- a move that came after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline to come to the bargaining table, according to the union.
Less than a week before Christmas, workers at four Amazon warehouses in Southern California are on strike amid claims the corporate giant refuses to recognize their union and negotiate fair contracts.
The union is calling the action the largest strike against Amazon in American history.
“The corporate elitists who run Amazon are leaving workers with no choice,” the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a release.
“Greedy executives are pushing thousands of hardworking Americans to the brink,” he added.
“Amazon rakes in more money than anybody, they subject workers to injury and abuse at every turn, and they illegally claim not to be the rightful employer of nearly half their workforce.”
The Teamsters, who represent about 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, announced this week that their members in Palmdale, Victorville, Industry, and San Bernardino had voted to authorize strikes — a move that came after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline to come to the bargaining table, according to the union.
Amazon workers represented by the union went on strike at 3 a.m. Thursday, joining Amazon union workers across the country who also went on strike.
“We’re tired of Amazon’s lies,” said Alexis Ayala, a driver at the DAX5 facility in the City of Industry, in a statement. “Amazon is responsible for our low pay and unsafe working conditions. My co-workers and I are ready to stand with our brothers and sisters around the country and fight back against this abusive company.”
The SoCal workers are joining employees who also recently authorized similar strikes at sites located in Illinois and New York City. Operations at the following Amazon facilities in California would be affected:
— DFX4 located at 15272 Bear Valley Road, Victorville;
— DAX5 located at 15930 Valley Blvd., Industry;
— DAX8 located at 600 W. Technology Drive, Palmdale; and
— KSBD air hub located at the San Bernardino International Airport
Eileen Hards of Amazon said in a statement that for more than a year, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public — claiming they represent “thousands of Amazon employees and drivers” when they don’t.
“The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union,” Hards said.
City News Service contributed to this report.
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