The International Brotherhood of Teamsters announced on Thursday (August 29) that Amazon workers in several states in the United States have joined the union. They plan to take further action against Amazon, expanding the scope of strikes to protest unfair labor practices.
Earlier in June, 100 Amazon drivers began a strike at an Amazon facility in Skokie, Illinois, with subsequent strikes taking place in Georgia, California, Kentucky, and New York.
As Amazon’s unionization process accelerates, its union members voted in June to join the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), a truck driver union based in the United States and Canada.
IBT sees the opportunity to organize Amazon’s massive workforce and believes that their collective bargaining power, if applied to Amazon, could reshape labor relations in the e-commerce sector.
As the largest and most diversified union in the United States, IBT is known for advocating for workers’ rights in industries like trucking, freight, and logistics.
In 2021, IBT established a department within Amazon, and last year it assisted United Parcel Service (UPS) workers in securing more favorable contracts.
On Wednesday (August 28), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters’ official website released a press release stating, “At Amazon’s DIL7 delivery station in Skokie, Illinois, more Amazon drivers are demanding that Amazon recognize the truck driver union and provide labor contracts.”
The press release quoted Amazon driver Riley Holzworth from the DIL7 delivery station as saying: “Amazon has long ignored the demands of its employees. We’ve had enough. We demand to sign IBT contracts and require Amazon to start treating us with the respect we deserve.”