Amazon workers on strike in the US amid holiday rush, parcels delayed

Teamsters Union has launched the largest strike against Amazon in the US history, demanding wage increase and other benefits on 19th December.  

The members of the Teamsters Union are striking at seven facilities across four of the US states, which in turn is affecting parcel deliveries amid the holiday season.  

The International Board of Teamsters or the Teamsters Union, which is a labor union in the United States and Canada was formed to set standards for higher wages and better working conditions.  

The Teamsters as they announced a strike against Amazon, the $2 trillion corporation stated that, “If your package is delayed during the holiday season, you can blame Amazon for their insatiable greed.”  

They added that they provided a deadline to Amazon members, but the company ignored it, which ultimately forced them to go on a strike.  

“Amazon has forced this strike by refusing to follow the law and bargain with the thousands of Amazon workers who organized the Teamsters,” the union wrote in their Facebook post that they shared.  

One of the representatives of the Teamsters Union shared his video on Facebook stating that, “This is the moment now. All over the nation, people are standing up against Amazon. Show them what kind of power we have. We're the ones making this company 1,000,000 dollars an hour. This is a growing movement, and it's not going to stop. But it's not about money with Amazon. It's about power. They don't want to lose that power that they have over us. Nothing's going to come from Amazon unless we take it from them.” 

In another post the Teamsters Union  commented on the Amazon strike and stated that the company doesn’t respect their workers who make them the success they are. They added that Teamsters Union will hold all of them accountable for their actions.  

This is to be noted that Teamsters only hold 1% of Amazon staff, that is 10, 000 workers as claimed by Teamsters. While they are calling out the amazon authorities, the company has issued a statement noting that the company should not be held accountable.  

The company gave this statement while highlighting that teamsters do not represent Amazon employees although they use their trucks and uniforms for deliveries. A spokesperson of Amazon also stated that the entire narrative is a PR play as Teamsters also conducted a similar act last year.  

Will strike delay Amazon parcels? 

According to Amazon, their customers will not face any delay in deliveries, and the company will maintain their standards to provide their customers a genuine experience.  

They further added that the deliveries may get delayed for a day or two from the actual date of delivery, however the company will ensure that their customers do not face any difficulty during the holiday season.  

Social media reacts to Amazon Strike 

A user on social media supported the protest by Teamsters and noted that the company should end their greed and pay good wages to their workers.  

“Good Job Teamsters! Amazon must pay a good, living wage. We are so tired of Amazon’s greed and mistreatment of workers. I’m cancelling all business with Amazon in support of your lawful strike,” the user wrote.  

Another social media user and a former worker of Amazon stated her experience with the company as they wrote, “I’ve done Amazon Flex for 3 years now and the flat wage they pay for same day deliveries has gone up by a couple bucks while inflation has driven cost of living sky high. Amazon is a greedy behemoth that needs to be broken up and dismantled along with Jeff Bezos and his fortune.”