Amazon strike threatens holiday deliveries

Days before Christmas, Amazon workers and contractors across Southern California have joined a nationwide strike, calling for better wages, benefits, and safety measures. The coordinated effort involves picketing at facilities in Palmdale, Victorville, Industry, and San Bernardino, with disruptions reported as workers block driveways to delay deliveries.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, representing 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, organized the strike after Amazon allegedly ignored a Sunday deadline to begin contract negotiations. Workers and union officials describe the strike as "the largest against Amazon in U.S. history."

However, over the course of several phone calls, text messages, and interviews, representatives of Amazon, the Teamsters, and delivery drivers confirmed that Amazon does not directly employ delivery drivers. Instead, drivers are employed by independent contractors known as Delivery Service Partners (DSPs). According to Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards:

• Amazon is 100% non-union.
• No employees at Amazon are represented by any union.
• Amazon does not directly employ any delivery drivers; they are all employed by outside contractors referred to as DSPs.

Hards pointed to an official DSP info sheet, which states: "…DSPs as independent businesses hire and manage their own employees…"

In a written statement, Amazon described the strikes as a "PR stunt" and claimed that the Teamsters represent only 1% of its workforce. "What you see here are almost entirely outsiders, not Amazon employees or even partners. The suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters."

Teamsters’ Position

Teamsters spokesperson Robert Gonzalez countered Amazon’s statements, asserting that the union represents delivery drivers and some warehouse workers. Gonzalez also claimed that the NLRB has found Amazon to be a "joint employer" with DSPs, a statement Amazon firmly denies.

Gonzalez reported that Teamsters have organized approximately 100 picket lines across the country, though this figure could not be independently verified. He also said that strikers plan to return to picket lines but noted that the decision ultimately rests with the striking workers. When asked for concrete numbers on how many Amazon workers the Teamsters represent, Gonzalez did not provide specifics.

Disruption and Impact

At the Industry facility, picketers have been strategically blocking driveways, delaying trucks from entering or exiting the site for several minutes at a time before allowing them to pass. This tactic is part of a coordinated effort to disrupt operations while maintaining an active picket line.

Despite these disruptions, Amazon stated that holiday deliveries remain unaffected, with most items still available for next-day delivery.

"This is day two of the strike," reported FOX 11's Gigi Graciette from the scene, where drivers expressed frustration over their working conditions. One driver noted, "The work that I do, [$20 to $25 an hour], I felt like a slap in the face." "We want some of the benefits that UPS drivers have," said another. 

"I'm not here today because Amazon has refused to recognize us," one worker told Graciette. "They've been union-busting, sending consultants to shame the union."

The strike comes as Amazon faces scrutiny over labor practices, and tensions are likely to continue as the NLRB hearing approaches.

The following Amazon facilities in California are affected by the strike:

• DFX4 located at 15272 Bear Valley Road, Victorville;
• DAX5 located at 15930 Valley Blvd., Industry;
• DAX8 located at 600 W. Technology Drive, Palmdale; and
• KSBD air hub located at the San Bernardino International Airport