Drivers and Dispatchers Demand Amazon Bargain over Working Conditions

(PALMDALE, Calif.) – Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers went on strike today to demand the e-commerce giant stop its unfair labor practices and bargain with the Teamsters Union to address low pay and dangerous working conditions. This is the first strike by Amazon drivers in the U.S.

“We know Amazon’s massive profits are only possible thanks to our labor,” said Jesus Gutierrez, an Amazon driver. “We will not stand by while Amazon breaks the law. We are holding Amazon accountable for our safety on the job.”

Delivery drivers and dispatchers at Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP), Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS), organized a union with Teamsters Local 396 in Los Angeles in April. Shortly thereafter, the workers also negotiated and ratified a union contract with BTS, the first agreement covering workers in Amazon’s massive delivery network. Despite the absolute control it wields over BTS and workers’ terms and conditions of employment, Amazon has refused to recognize and honor the union contract. Instead, Amazon has engaged in dozens of unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law.

“Amazon has no respect for the rule of law, the health of its workers, or the livelihood of their families,” said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. “Workers are on strike today because the only thing this corporate criminal cares about is profits. We are sending a message to Amazon that violating worker rights will no longer be business as usual.”

“Amazon is attacking these 84 Teamsters and the whole community of Palmdale with its exploitative practices,” said Victor Mineros, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 396. “This community deserves good jobs, and we are all on the picket line today to fight for them.”

Amazon drivers organized with the Teamsters over concerns for their safety in extreme temperatures, which regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during Palmdale summers.

Their union contract guarantees the rights of workers to drive safe equipment and refuse unsafe deliveries. Due to the total control that Amazon exerts over its DSPs, making the contract’s protections a reality will require an overhaul of Amazon’s exploitative labor practices.

“The back of an Amazon van feels like an oven in the summer,” said Cecilia Porter, an Amazon Teamster driver. “I’ve felt dizzy and dehydrated, but if I take a break, I’ll get a call asking why I’m behind on deliveries. We are protecting ourselves and saying our safety comes first.”

“We are on the picket line today to demand the pay and safety standards that we deserve. We work hard for a multibillion-dollar corporation. We should be able to provide food and clothes for our kids,” said Raj Singh, another Amazon Teamster driver.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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