(CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.) — Amazon delivery drivers with Teamsters Local 396 in Southern California ramped up pressure on the company Monday, extending their unfair labor practice (ULP) strike to DAX5 in City of Industry, Calif. The picket extension is the latest escalation by Amazon Teamsters in what is the largest and longest Amazon strike in U.S. history. 

“We have now picketed over 30 Amazon warehouses since June and we are more determined than ever to fight for safe jobs and fair pay,” said Tom Culver, an Amazon delivery driver and Teamster from Palmdale, Calif. “With each picket extension, our solidarity only grows stronger. Amazon workers across the country, our local communities, and over 1.3 million Teamsters have our backs. Amazon’s efforts to bully and intimidate us are failing, and we will keep building worker power until we are paid fairly, have safe working conditions, and are treated with respect.”

Palmdale-based Amazon delivery drivers made history when they organized the first union of Amazon drivers in the country. Although the workers successfully ratified a first Teamsters contract, Amazon has refused to recognize and honor the union agreement. Instead, the company terminated the entire unit of newly organized workers and has since continued to engage in dozens of ULPs. Amazon Teamsters have committed to extending their picket line until the company reinstates their jobs, recognizes the union contract, and engages in collective bargaining with the Teamsters Union to increase pay and improve working conditions.

Workers in Palmdale organized with the Teamsters to address low wages and dangerous working conditions, including exposure to extreme heat. Last week, California state officials delayed a vote to implement long-awaited rules requiring employers to safeguard workers against excessive heat in indoor workspaces, including warehouses. With such protections now in limbo, Amazon Teamsters are ramping up efforts to get the company to the bargaining table to improve workplace safety standards. 

Since their strike began last year, Amazon Teamsters have picketed at over 33 Amazon warehouses in 10 states, building solidarity among Amazon workers across the country. The picket extensions have been critical opportunities for Amazon Teamsters to meet with workers in other warehouses, learn about their shared struggles for better wages and working conditions, and grow support for the fight to build power for Amazon workers.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 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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