Drivers at DGT8 in Atlanta Join Union Organizing Wave with Teamsters Nationwide

(ATLANTA) – Amazon drivers at the company’s DGT8 facility in Atlanta have formed a union with the Teamsters and demanded union recognition with a “March on the Boss” held early this morning. The Atlanta drivers are building on what is a massive organizing wave within Amazon, joining hundreds of drivers from Illinois, New York, and California in forming a union with the Teamsters to take on the e-commerce giant.

Today’s announcement comes as Amazon associates brace for the holiday peak season and workers are pushed to their limits to meet skyrocketing demand. The drivers from DGT8 are fighting for better pay, safe working conditions, and a voice on the job. Many workers are denied basic benefits.

“Amazon workers deserve so much more from a company that makes billions of dollars in profits every year,” said Trent Knight, an Amazon Teamster at DGT8. “Many of us can barely afford to pay our bills and make rent each month, yet we’re the reason Amazon is one of the most profitable companies in the world. With this union, we’re taking a step to finally get the pay, benefits, and respect we deserve.” 

The organizing wave unfolding at Amazon is unprecedented as Amazon workers across five facilities coast-to-coast have joined the Teamsters in recent months. Since September, warehouse workers in San Francisco and delivery drivers in Queens, Victorville, and City of Industry have all formed unions with the Teamsters and demanded recognition. Meanwhile, workers at the company’s largest air hubs in Kentucky and California have walked off the job in protest of the company’s unfair labor practices. In June, Amazon Labor Union members at JFK8 in Staten Island voted to affiliate with the Teamsters by a near unanimous 98.3 percent in favor. The growing momentum is inspiring more Amazon workers to join the thousands already part of the union.

“Amazon cannot continue to get away with paying us poverty wages while they earn more in profits year after year,” said Aaron Nipper, an Amazon Teamster at DGT8. “We’re tired of the disrespect and not being able to afford basic living expenses to keep a roof over our heads and feed our families. Enough is enough — we’re proud to join the Amazon Teamsters and we’re going to fight for what we deserve.”

Amazon wields absolute control over the terms and conditions of employment for its delivery drivers through its Delivery Service Partner (DSP) program, yet the company has argued that it does not employ the workers. In August, Amazon drivers in Palmdale, Calif., secured a monumental victory when National Labor Relations Board Region 31 made a determination that Amazon is a joint employer of its drivers, and therefore has a legal duty to recognize and bargain with the Teamsters. This joint employer determination sets a major precedent and is applicable to Amazon drivers who work under similar conditions nationwide, including the Atlanta DGT8 drivers.

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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