Striking Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers from Palmdale, Calif., extended their picket line to a fulfillment center (OAK4) in California'sCentral Valley, to demand the e-commerce giant stop its unfair labor practices. The growing strike will continue until Amazon reinstates the unlawfully terminated Palmdale employees, recognizes the Teamsters, respects the contract negotiated by the workers, and bargains with the Teamsters Union to address low pay and dangerous working conditions. Amazon drivers and dispatchers began their unfair labor practice strike at an Amazon delivery station in Palmdale, Calif., on June 24, 2023.
They have picketed 10 Amazon warehouses around the country during their seven-week strike, including facilities in California, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Georgia. The 84 workers in Palmdale joined Teamsters Local 396 and bargained a contract with Amazon's Delivery Service Partner (DSP), Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS), in April. Despite the absolute control it wields over BTS and workers' terms and conditions of employment, Amazon has refused to recognize and honor the union contract.
Instead, Amazon has engaged in dozens of unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law, including terminating the entire unit of newly-organized workers. Amazon drivers in Palmdale organized with the Teamsters to protect their safety in extreme temperatures, which regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during Palmdale summers. Their Teamster contract guarantees the rights of workers to drive safe equipment and refuse unsafe deliveries.
Making the contract's protections a reality will require an overhaul of Amazon's exploitative labor practices.