(WASHINGTON) – Teamsters across North America stand in solidarity with the Amazon workers who are walking out of work as part of the Youth Climate Strike Week of Action. More than 1,500 members of Amazon Employees for Climate Justice (AECJ) are joining the Youth Climate Strike and walking out of work to demand that Amazon management “take responsibility for the impact that our business has on the planet and on people.”

It’s no coincidence that Amazon announced their “Climate Pledge” right before this walkout. This initial victory reaffirms what we know to be true – when workers come together, we have real power and this is only the beginning. Throughout the history of our union, we have seen again and again that when workers have a voice in how their companies do business, they can make transformative changes to make workplaces and communities safer, healthier and more sustainable. The Amazon workers joining this strike are leading the fight to force one of the world’s richest and most powerful companies to leverage its resources to address climate change.

From warehouse pickers to delivery drivers, workers on the front lines of climate change are the ones who are forced to work under extreme weather conditions, like wildfires, polar vortexes and the type of extreme heat that sent workers in warehouses across the country to hospitals this summer. And as the ones who are so often the first and worst impacted by environmental changes, it is essential that working people have a voice in the conversation about how we address these challenges. 

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

 

 

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