Amazon workers strike at multiple hubs over pay, work conditions

(20 Dec 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 20 December 2024
1. Various of Amazon workers and members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters picketing in front of the Amazon fulfilment center
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Lamont Hopewell, Amazon employee:
++COVERED++
"Were hardworking individuals who work hard every day, and I think a billion dollar company could afford to give us the benefits that we're looking for."
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Lamont Hopewell, Amazon employee:
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"To all the customers we work hard for delivering the packages and we just ask them to get in contact with Jeff Bezos and tell him to do what's right."
4. Various of Amazon delivery vans departing, driving past the picket line
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Radtke, Amazon employee:
++PARTIALLY COVERED++
"You know, all of our brothers and sisters, we've been living in fear of Amazon for years, months, and now we're ready to take a stand together. You know, we're all taking this risk, but we're doing it together and we know we're going to be okay because we have each other's backs."
6. Picket line

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Alpharetta, Georgia - 20 December 2024
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Dunn, Amazon employee:
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"My hope for this facility is for us drivers to be recognized for the whole work that we do. Better wages, better benefits, more PTO (personal time off), paid holidays, paid vacations, paid PTO. Everything."
8. Aerial of Amazon warehouse
9. Amazon delivery vans driving past Gregory Dunn
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Gregory Dunn, Amazon employee:
++COVERED++
"They are driving behind us, and we are here fighting for them. They may not see the bigger picture yet, but they will soon."

ASSOCIATED PRESS
New York - 20 December 2024
11. Hopewell, Radtke and others gathered at picket line
12. Picket line
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Brendan Radtke, Amazon employee:
"Everyone wants to have a good Christmas. Christmas is about family, you know? But why shouldn't we have a good Christmas? We have families too. You know, we deserve better. We're the ones that make Christmas happen for everybody in this country."
14. Picket line
STORYLINE:
Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union continued a strike Friday at seven of the company's delivery hubs just days before Christmas.

The workers, who voted to authorize strikes in recent days, joined picket lines on Thursday after Amazon ignored a Sunday deadline the union had set for contract negotiations.

The strikes are taking place at three delivery hubs in Southern California, and one each in San Francisco, New York City, Atlanta, Georgia, and Skokie, Illinois, according to the union’s announcement.

The e-commerce giant has a couple hundred employees at each delivery station.

The Teamsters mainly have focused on organizing delivery drivers, who work for contractors that handle package deliveries for the company.

But Amazon has rebuffed demands to come to the negotiating table since it doesn't consider the drivers to be its employees.

"We want comparable wages to what other delivery drivers are making in the industry. Like UPS, DHL, etc.," said Vinnie Perrone, the president of a local Teamsters union in metro New York. "But Amazon refuses to come to the table."

The striking workers are fighting for higher wages, better benefits, and safer work conditions.


Amazon said it doesn't expect the strike at delivery stations to impact holiday shipments.



The International Brotherhood of Teamsters also says the union represents some Amazon warehouse workers.




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