The International Brotherhood of Teamsters set a deadline for Amazon to agree to bargaining dates to negotiate a union contract for drivers and warehouse workers, The Wall Street Journal reported. The Sunday, Dec. 15, deadline comes amid the busy holiday season and where labor unrest might be lurking.
The Teamsters said Amazon must commit to the bargaining table and work out a deal with its workers.
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However, Amazon insisted the Teamsters don’t represent as many Amazon employees as it claims. Amazon said many of its drivers are independent contractors.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced it invested $2 billion toward its delivery drivers. That investment boosted wages by about $1.50 an hour, bringing the total hourly wage for drivers to $22.
That investment came after the Teamsters led strikes for Amazon workers, which included many of the company’s drivers across the U.S.
Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said Amazon has a legal obligation to start negotiating.
The American Labor Union, which successfully helped Amazon workers unionize at a warehouse in New York, announced it was joining forces with the Teamsters.
ALL OF US ARE SEEING AMAZON TRUCKS AND DELIVERY DRIVERS BUZZING AROUND OUR NEIGHBORHOODS THIS TIME OF YEAR,
BUT AS THE HOLIDAY SEASON ROLLS ON – LABOR UNREST MIGHT BE LURKING.
THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF TEAMSTERS IS GIVING AMAZON A DEADLINE OF THIS SUNDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, TO AGREE TO BARGAINING DATES TO NEGOTIATE A UNION CONTRACT FOR DELIVERY DRIVERS AND WAREHOUSE WORKERS, THAT’S ACCORDING TO THE WALL STREET JOURNAL.
THE TEAMSTERS SAY AMAZON **MUST COMMIT** TO GO TO THE BARGAINING TABLE AND WORK OUT A DEAL WITH ITS WORKERS. HOWEVER, AMAZON CLAIMS THE TEAMSTERS DO **NOT** REPRESENT AS MANY AMAZON EMPLOYEES AS IT CLAIMS. INSTEAD, AMAZON SAYS MANY OF ITS DRIVERS ARE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.
EARLIER THIS YEAR, AMAZON ANNOUNCED IT WAS INVESTING $2-BILLION TOWARD DRIVERS THAT DELIVER PACKAGES TO ITS CUSTOMERS. THAT INVESTMENT, ACCORDING TO THE COMPANY, WOULD BOOST WAGES BY ABOUT A DOLLAR-FIFTY-AN-HOUR TO $22 PER HOUR FOR DRIVERS.
THAT INVESTMENT CAME AFTER THE TEAMSTERS LED STRIKES FOR AMAZON WORKERS, INCLUDING MANY DRIVERS, ACROSS THE U-S. TEAMSTERS PRESIDENT SEAN O’BRIEN SAID, “ AMAZON HAS A LEGAL OBLIGATION TO RECOGNIZE THE TEAMSTERS AND START NEGOTIATING.”
THERE’S AN OLD ADDAGE – THERE IS STRENGTH IN NUMBERS – AND WE MIGHT BE SEEING THAT, IN THIS CASE. THE AMERICAN LABOR UNION SUCCESSFULLY HELPED AMAZON WORKERS, UNIONIZE AT A WAREHOUSE IN NEW YORK, AND NOW THEY ARE JOINING FORCES WITH THE TEAMSTERS. FOR MORE UNBIASED UPDATES, DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP.
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