The strike that was dubbed “the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. History” is now over. Just before Christmas approximately 7000 Amazon delivery drivers went on strike all over America. A strike of this scale during such a busy time as Christmas threatened to hurt ecommerce businesses but Amazon has stated operations were not affected at all.

Amidst the busiest shopping season, workers from seven facilities across the country left work earlier than usual on December 19 to protest Amazon’s refusal to negotiate a labor contract with the Teamsters union.

Who Was Striking?

This strike brought to the fore thousands of Teamsters-represented Amazon delivery drivers and warehouse workers from seven of the 10 facilities in the U.S. The Teamsters is the biggest labor union in all America, boasting 1.3 million members. This has caught so much attention for being the largest coordinated job action in the company’s history. These workers play an integral role in fulfilling and delivering orders to consumers. Without them, Amazon sellers may face detrimental business losses.

It's an important note though that Amazon does not consider most of its delivery drivers as employees but rather “Delivery Service Partners”. 

What Do They Want?

Among the demands made by the striking Amazon workers are:

• Wage increases
• Job security
• Better benefits
• Safer and sustainable working conditions
• Improved protection against unfair treatment

The Teamsters are collectively stipulating for stronger recognition of union representation and putting an end to Amazon’s anti-union practices.

What’s a Short History of Previous Job Action?

In the past two years, the Amazon Labor Union (ALU) welcomed a staggering 10,000 workers from across the 10 facilities in America. The ALU is a union that aims to organize Amazon employees all over the U.S., and demand better wages and benefits. In June, the ALU joined forces with The Teamsters in an effort to challenge one of the world’s leading e-Commerce giants. Prior to this massive strike, Amazon faced a multitude of labor disputes such as the March 2020 Staten Island warehouse walkouts where workers demanded for better COVID-19 safety measures in the workplace. April 2023 saw the ALU’s victory in unionizing the JFK8 warehouse in Staten Island, despite strong opposition from Amazon.

Why Does Amazon Refuse to Negotiate with The Union?

Traditionally anti-union, Amazon much prefers to communicate directly with its employees in lieu of working with third-party organizations or contractors. Despite the fact, some of its delivery drivers work for third-party companies known as “delivery service partners” that drive vehicles with Amazon logos despite not being directly employed by the e-Commerce company. This puts into light Amazon’s flawed workforce structure. By employing contractors, Amazon is able to bypass direct responsibility for its employees. This makes it harder for workers to seek improvements in their benefits and working conditions.

Amazon firmly believes that unions will only impede operations and their ability to address any concerns raised by their workers. Their present refusal to negotiate with the union is likely a bid to prevent setting any precedent that encourages union activity within its workforce. This could potentially lead to further employee discontent.

How Does This Impact Online Shoppers and Sellers?

On December 19, International Brotherhood of Teamsters President, Sean M. O’ Brien, released a statement saying “If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed.” Furthermore, he pointed out that the union gave Amazon a “clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members” but chose to disregard their terms.

This strike had the potential to cause great inconveniences to online shoppers and sellers alike, especially during Christmastime. Without delivery drivers and warehouse workers, order fulfillments and shipments could be delayed; adversely impacting customers who depend on Amazon for timely deliveries. However, Amazon stated that operations were not affected by the job action.

Will Amazon Workers Strike Again?

Whether there will be further job action is unclear. A Teamsters spokesperson said, “Make no mistake the Teamsters will never let up and workers will never stop fighting for their rights at Amazon. Stay tuned.”

Looking Ahead: Beyond the Strike

The Teamster’s historic strike has exposed the weak spots in Amazon’s efforts to balance profit goals and employee welfare. It is, without a doubt, an impressive demonstration of burgeoning worker discontent and the dire need for improvement in the way the e-Commerce behemoth manages its workforce. Amazon’s continued resistance to address its workers’ concerns and demands underscores its stance on unions, especially since it is focused on staying ahead of its competitors in the online shopping industry. In many ways, this strike has shown us the potential long-term consequences of the company’s business model. If there continues to be wage-pressure on Amazon's workforce it could continue to increase fee-pressure on sellers.