Seven US Amazon locations are on strike before the Christmas rush

Early on Thursday, amid the holiday shopping rush, employees at seven Amazon.com locations in the United States went on strike in an attempt to force the company into contract negotiations with their union.

As reported by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents over 10,000 workers at ten of the company’s sites, warehouse workers in cities like New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco are participating in the “largest” walkout against Amazon.

But the company said it doesn’t anticipate any impact on its business during one of the busiest periods of the year.

Amazon, the second-largest private employer in the world after Walmart, employs hourly workers in several cities, but just around 1% of them are unionized.

In addition to warehouse workers recently voting to approve a walkout, the Teamsters had given Amazon until December 15 to start negotiations.

Teamsters’ General President Sean O’Brien stated late on Wednesday that “you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed if your package is delayed during the holidays.”

“We set a deadline for Amazon to respect our members and come to the table. It was disregarded by them. It’s their fault.”

In premarket hours, the retailer’s shares (AMZN.O) were up 1.5%, indicating that investors do not anticipate a significant interruption from the strike.

On Thursday, an Amazon representative claimed that the Teamsters had “intentionally misled the public” and “threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce” workers and outside drivers to join them.

It is unlikely that Amazon will negotiate because doing so might lead to more union moves, according to observers.

With more than 600 fulfillment centers, delivery stations, and same-day facilities around the United States, it employs over 800,000 workers in its warehouses.

Legal disputes have been Amazon’s response to recent organization efforts. Amazon has objected to a 2022 Staten Island union ballot before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), claiming that agency officials were biased.

In September, it also filed a federal lawsuit contesting the NLRB’s constitutionality.

Employee base earnings would increase by at least $1.50 to around $22 per hour, or 7%, as part of a $2.1 billion investment the business made earlier this year to improve pay for fulfillment and transportation workers in the United States.