Frustrated workers at Amazon’s largest facility in Staten Island walked out of work Saturday morning nationwide strike against the retail giant just days before Christmas.
Workers at the JFK8 fulfillment center, which employs approximately 5,500 people, joined the strike in solidarity with thousands of warehouse workers across the country, including in New York City. The Teamsters Union announced.
The protesters are demanding higher wages, better benefits and better working conditions.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this fight,” said Valerie Strapopoli, a worker at the Bloomfield location.
“Amazon has pushed us around for so long, but now we have momentum.”
The Teamsters union said the strike entered its third day Saturday Amazon ignored December 15 deadline Negotiating new contracts for employees.
The union representing Staten Island workers announced Friday night it would join a “historic” strike at midnight.
“Amazon executives are cowards hiding behind lies, threats and intimidation to shirk their responsibilities to employees and the public,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement.
“It takes real courage to stand up to a corporate bully and that’s what the Amazon Teamsters are doing.”
Amazon warehouse workers voting to unionize in 2022 have tried to engage the company in contract negotiations since last year, leading the Teamsters to file unfair labor charges against the company with the National Labor Relations Board. The Associated Press reported.
After Amazon refused to bargain on a contract, the company filed a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the labor board that certified the Amazon labor union election to spoil the vote.
The retailer now claims those on strike are “outsiders”, accusing the Teamsters of illegally forcing workers to join the union and disputing the “thousands” of workers and drivers the union claims to represent. Has been accused of.
“What you see here is almost entirely from outsiders – not Amazon employees or partners – and suggestions otherwise are another lie from the Teamsters,” a company spokesperson said in a statement.
“We appreciate all the great work our team does to serve our customers and communities, and are continuing to focus on getting customers their holiday orders.”
The Teamsters claim to represent 10,000 Amazon workers, a small portion of the 1.5 million people the company employs in its warehouses and corporate offices.
Protesters on Staten Island received support from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who joined the protest Saturday morning.
“Amazon workers deserve higher wages and safe working conditions,” she said in a post on X.
“I’m proud to stand with the @amazonlabor workers on strike on Staten Island today to fight for their rights.”
Other locations protesting the Jeff Bezos-led company include warehouses in Queens, Atlanta, California, and Skokie, Illinois.
Amazon says this He does not expect the strike to affect his operations.But a walkout — especially one that lasts several days — could delay shipments in some metro areas.
The team players have not indicated how long they will remain on strike.
