Amazon Faces Holiday Strike due to Increased Workplace Injuries

Amazon Faces Holiday Strike due to Increased Workplace Injuries

Hordes of logistics personnel and delivery vehicle operators are involved in the biggest strike against Amazon in the U.S., breaking records. The strikers at diverse locations intend to highlight unethical labor practices (ULPs), such as Amazon's top-tier injury rates, and prompt the tech giant to engage in negotiations.

The timing of the strike is strategically beneficial for delivery personnel and warehouse workers, who are unionizing with the Teamsters. The holiday season, or "peak time," witness an increase in Amazon package volumes along with an uptick in workplace injuries.

Delivery driver at DIL7, Gabriel Irizarry from Skokie, Illinois, stated, "They boast about caring for their staff, but when it comes down to it, Amazon disregards us and our right to negotiate for improved working conditions and wages. We can't even afford basic necessities."

Teamsters Union President Sean M. O’Brien remarked, "If your package is delayed during the holidays, hold Amazon responsible for their relentless greed. We've given Amazon a clear deadline to engage in talks and treat their employees fairly. They chose to disregard it."

Teamsters vs. Amazon

Amazon employs 36% of all warehouse staff in the U.S., yet accounts for 53% of warehouse injuries. Amazon boasts a workforce of more than 700,000, making it the largest warehouse employer in the nation. The Teamsters, with over 1.3 million members, represent nearly 10,000 Amazon staff at ten facilities and have prioritized organizing Amazon.

Amazon reported over $36.9 billion in profits in 2023, and the company's current market capitalization is over $2.39 trillion, surpassing the GDP of most nations. Amazon's founder, Jeff Bezos, ranks second on the list of wealthiest individuals globally, with a net worth of approximately $238.6 billion, according to our source. Current CEO Andy Jassy received nearly $30 million in total compensation in 2023, and has received over $300 million in total compensation since 2021.

Amazon fiercely resists union organizing efforts, employing tactics like postponing elections or forcing employees to attend "compulsory meetings." Amazon recently spent over $17 million on union avoidance consultants, at times even ** hiring them directly as managers**.

Teamsters have been organizing Amazon employees across the U.S. for over a year, but the recent wave of unionization can be traced back to 2020 and 2021, after workers associated with RWDSU (Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union) attempted to organize a facility in Alabama. This campaign is still ongoing. Worker-led movements at Amazon gained momentum following the dismissal of Chris Smalls, a former supervisor, who voiced concerns about hazardous working conditions during the pandemic. Smalls' facility, JFK8 in Staten Island, subsequently organized to form the Amazon Labor Union, which recently affiliated with the Teamsters and is participating in the strike.

The striking Amazon facilities include JFK8 and DBK4 in New York City, DGT8 in Atlanta, DFX4, DAX5, and DAX8 in Southern California, DCK6 in San Francisco, DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois, and the KSBD air hub in San Bernardino. KSBD is Amazon's largest air hub on the West Coast. Over 1,000 workers at the facility have unionized with the Teamsters.

KSBD worker Ayden Huett stated, "We don't want to be on strike this close to the holidays, but Amazon left us with no other option." "Amazon has consistently demonstrated that they won't improve how they treat us unless we resist."

According to Jake Wilson, Professor of Sociology at California State University, Long Beach and co-editor of The Price of Free Shipping, "The Teamsters strike against Amazon delivery facilities is a significant escalation in challenging Amazon's influence over workers. Amazon has purposefully established an extensive delivery infrastructure at the expense of tens of thousands of non-union, misclassified, contracted Delivery Service Partners (DSPs). The Teamsters have effectively targeted Amazon's delivery bottlenecks to create momentum to compel Amazon to accept responsibility as a co-employer accountable for the safety and working conditions of these workers."

Amazon's Corporate Culture of "Endemic Safety Failures"

A recent study from the Center for Urban Economic Development at the University of Illinois, Chicago has disclosed that Amazon workers have the highest injury rate in their sector:

• 41% of workers report being injured while working at an Amazon warehouse.
• 51% who have been with the company for over three years have suffered an injury.
• 69% were compelled to take unpaid leave due to pain or fatigue.
• 52% feel burnt out from their work at Amazon.
• 41% often or always feel pressure to work faster.

A July report from the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee revealed that injury rates escalate during Prime Day and the holiday season, exceeding 10 annual injuries per 100 workers, double the industry average. Amazon's overall injury rate amounts to 45 injuries per 100 full-time employees. If each day were Prime Day or the holiday season, nearly half of Amazon's workforce would be injured.

A more recent Senate committee investigation revealed that Amazon has a "corporate culture focused on speed and productivity... resulting in systemic safety failures and high rates of injury." Amazon's injury rate has a "significant and increasing impact on the average injury rate for the entire warehouse sector."

The Senate committee report concluded:

• Amazon manipulates its workplace injury statistics to present its warehouses as safer than they truly are.
• Amazon implements strict speed and productivity standards, known as "rates," which compel workers to work at an incredibly fast and potentially hazardous pace. To monitor adherence to these requirements, Amazon closely monitors workers' movements during each shift. When workers fail to meet expectations, Amazon deploys automated systems to implement disciplinary measures, which escalate in severity and can ultimately lead to termination.
• Amazon encourages workers to perform tasks in an unsafe manner and to execute the same motions numerous times each shift, leading to significantly high rates of musculoskeletal disorders.
• Despite having safety protocols in place, Amazon's rigorous productivity targets make following these procedures almost impossible.
• Amazon's negligence in providing secure working environments results in disabling injuries.
• Amazon is reluctant to implement measures to reduce injuries due to concerns that such changes might decrease productivity.
• Amazon discourages injured employees from seeking outside medical care.
• Workers requiring temporary or permanent workplace accommodations for occupational injuries and impairments face significant obstacles in obtaining suitable accommodations.
• Amazon dismisses workers who are injured in its warehouses while on approved medical leave.
• Amazon reduces the number of injuries it reports to federal regulatory bodies.

Unionizing for Safety

Strikers are convinced that collaborating with the Teamsters will help them secure safer working conditions. They frequently consult with colleagues at the Teamsters regarding UPS's contract, with whom they have also organized. Charlie Thompson, an Amazon DSP employee, mentions, "It's intriguing what you hear they have at UPS. When you realize that UPS is less profitable than Amazon, you really want to ask Amazon, 'Why can't you treat me the same way?'"

The Teamsters, including President Sean M. O'Brien, is deeply concerned about the injury rate. "The Teamsters have had enough of Amazon disregarding the law. Amazon must agree to participate in negotiations for a Teamsters contract with its employees – or face the consequences of its indifference. Thousands of Amazon workers across the country have courageously united to confront one of the world's most oppressive employers. Amazon has a legal obligation to recognize the Teamsters and initiate negotiations," O'Brien states.

An Amazon spokesperson declared, "for well over a year now, the Teamsters have persistently misled the public – claiming to represent 'thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.' They do not, and this is yet another attempt to propagate a false narrative."

Will Amazon's Injury Rates Ruin the Holidays?

Experts are divided on whether the strikes will disrupt holiday deliveries. Jason Miller, a logistics professor at Michigan State University, expressed his opinion on LinkedIn, "Only a small number of Amazon's facilities – less than ten – are impacted by the strike. Amazon operates several hundred large fulfillment centers, not to mention other types of facilities such as air hubs, sortation centers, and local delivery locations. The scope of the strike is less than one percent of Amazon's workforce... Santa should still be able to deliver your Christmas gifts on time, unless he sustains an injury at the sortation center."

Jake Wilson looks at the issue from a longer-term perspective: "In recent years, Amazon workers have been at the forefront of challenging one of the world's most influential corporations, and this current strike wave is likely to spur additional worker actions at Amazon."

Dia Ortiz, a staff member at DBK4 in New York, is inspired by the strikes, "I've seen the Teamsters win significant victories. We're eager to do whatever it takes to win this battle."

1. The Teamsters Union is calling on customers to hold Amazon accountable for the strike, suggesting that package delays during the holiday season are a result of Amazon's greed and disregard for employee rights.
2. The Amazon strike has been strategically timed to coincide with the holiday season, a period when the company experiences an increase in package volumes and workplace injuries.
3. Sean O'Brien, Teamsters Union President, has accused Amazon of union busting, citing instances of postponing elections, forcing employees to attend compulsory meetings, and hiring union avoidance consultants as direct tactics.
4. Chris Smalls, a former Amazon supervisor, played a significant role in inspiring the recent wave of unionization at Amazon. Smalls was fired in 2020 for voicing concerns about hazardous working conditions during the pandemic.
5. Jeff Bezos, Amazon's founder, and Andy Jassy, the current CEO, have faced criticism for their significant salaries and profits, despite Amazon's alleged disregard for employee safety and working conditions.

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