Unionized Amazon workers are primed for a strike as labor flexes its holiday leverage
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Unboxing a strike… Unionized Amazon workers want a contract, and they’re using the company’s peak shipping season as a bargaining chip. On Friday, 5.5K warehouse employees and delivery drivers serving New York City voted to authorize a strike against Amazon. While authorization doesn’t guarantee a work stoppage, it boosts the odds of one with just over a week before Christmas.
Wish list: Amazon’s union, which joined the 1.3M-strong Teamsters union this summer, is demanding wage hikes, safer working conditions, and added job security. Amazon hasn’t formally recognized the union (awkward).
Cartful of problems… While Amazon’s unionized workforce is a tiny fraction of its 800K front-line US workers, if it wins a sweetened contract, it could quickly spur more warehouse unionization (and work stoppages). A holiday strike would be the latest in a string of negative labor headlines for Amazon.
Safety problems: A Senate investigation published on Sunday found that Amazon manipulated warehouse-injury data, ignored internal safety recommendations, and discouraged injured workers from getting outside medical care.
Corporate conflict: Amazon’s also facing pushback from its corporate staffers, who are required to return to the office five days a week beginning next month. 73% of employees are said to have considered quitting because of the mandate.
Timing is strength… By threatening to strike during Amazon’s peak sales season, the union is maximizing its leverage. Timed labor actions have become a key move for US unions this year. The New York Times’ tech guild walked out on a day before the presidential election. Airline unions connected to United and American authorized strikes ahead of the record Thanksgiving travel week. And the brief East Coast dockworker strike in September was timed to upend the holiday-shopping supply chain.