(NEW YORK) – Amazon Teamsters at two New York City facilities—JFK8 and DBK4—have voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes following Amazon’s illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract addressing the company’s low wages and dangerous working conditions.
“Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. “We’ve been clear: Amazon has until December 15 to come to the table and bargain for a contract. If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight.”
Amazon workers at 10 facilities around the country have organized with the Teamsters. Amazon has repeatedly failed in its legal obligation to bargain with its unionized workforce.
This June, over 5,500 workers at the Staten Island JFK8 facility made history when they affiliated with the Teamsters and chartered Amazon Labor Union (ALU)-IBT Local 1. They authorized a strike as part of their fight for fair wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.
“Our members are ready to do whatever it takes to get a contract,” said Connor Spence, President of ALU-IBT Local 1. “While Amazon continues to disrespect us by refusing to listen to our concerns, our movement is only growing stronger.”
“We aren’t asking for much,” said James Saccardo, a worker at JFK8. “We just want what everyone else in America wants —to do our jobs and get paid enough to take care of ourselves and our families. And Amazon isn’t letting us do that.”
In Queens, Amazon workers at DBK4—the corporation’s largest delivery station in New York City—voted nearly unanimously to authorize a strike of their own.
“Driving for Amazon is tough,” said Luc Rene, a worker at DBK4. “What’s even tougher is fighting a mega-corporation that constantly breaks the law and games the system. But we won’t give up.”
“Amazon Teamsters are ready to strike. They are being left with no other choice,” said Vincent Perrone, President of Local 804. “These Amazon workers have the full weight of our union supporting them.”
As the December 15 negotiating deadline approaches, Amazon is pushing its workers closer to a strike that will disrupt key operations for customers nationwide. Momentum is continuing to grow throughout Amazon’s rank and file as more workers organize with the Teamsters.
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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