Amazon Faces December Deadline for Worker Negotiation
Seattle, Sunday, 8 December 2024.
Amazon must set negotiation dates with delivery and warehouse workers by December 15, 2024, as pressure from the Teamsters union highlights critical labor relations issues.
Union Pressure Mounts
Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is facing increasing pressure from one of America’s largest labor unions as a crucial deadline approaches. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has set December 15, 2024, as the final date for Amazon to agree to bargaining dates for negotiating a union contract covering delivery drivers and warehouse workers [1]. This ultimatum comes at a time when labor relations at the e-commerce giant have reached a critical juncture, with the Teamsters, representing 1.3 million workers across North America, asserting that Amazon is violating labor laws by not coming to the negotiating table [1].
Recent Worker Initiatives
The deadline follows significant labor activity at Amazon. Just a week ago, on December 1, 2024, workers participated in a ‘Make Amazon Pay’ strike [6]. This comes after Amazon’s announcement three months ago of a $2 billion investment toward delivery drivers, which was expected to increase the average national pay to nearly $22 per hour, representing a 7% increase from the previous year [1]. Teamsters Amazon Division Director Randy Korgan has been particularly vocal about the situation, stating that Amazon’s resistance to National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) proceedings demonstrates the company’s fear of worker organizing power [6].
Growing Union Influence
The Teamsters’ influence has been expanding within Amazon’s workforce. A notable development was the recent decision by the Amazon Labor Union, which had successfully unionized a New York warehouse, to join forces with the Teamsters [1]. The union’s General President Sean M. O’Brien has emphasized Amazon’s legal obligation to recognize the Teamsters and begin negotiations [1]. This push for worker rights comes amid a broader context of labor movements across the United States, with more than half of U.S. states having passed apprenticeship-related legislation in 2023 and 2024 [6].