For dis Christmas season, Amazon workers don go strike for dia seven US facilities

Amazon workers for seven U.S. facilities waka comot from work early on Thursday during di holiday shopping rush as dem dey protest wetin dem say na di retailing giant’s unfair treatment of its employees.

Warehouse workers for cities like New York, Atlanta and San Francisco dey don follow take part for wetin teamsters officials call di largest eva strike against Amazon, but e fit no cause much wahala for di company’s extensive shipping operations sha.

As di world’s second-largest private employer afta Walmart, Amazon don long be di target for unions wey talk say di company’s emphasis for eva faster speed and efficiency fit lead to injuries.

Di company talk say e dey pay industry leading wages and dey use automation designed to reduce repetitive stress.

Amazon shares rise 1.8% on Thursday afternoon

Di workers dem talk  say dem want Amazon to com to di bargaining table and recognize di pressure to take meet dia demands wey dey affect dia health.

Howeva, di strikers dey represent small number of di ova 800,000  pipo wey Amazon employ for more than 600 U.S. fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day facilities.

“Amazon dey pretend say quota system no dey, but rigorous quota system dey wey dey push pipo beyond dia real physical limits in unnatural way,” Jordan Soreff, 63, wey dey deliver about 300 packages a day for Amazon for New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn na him talk dis one.

“Di more you do, di more dem go expect you to do.”

Soreff na one of about 100 pipo outside di Amazon facility for Queens, including many Teamsters members wey no dey work for Amazon.

Howeva, di facility dey continue to operate, wit oda drivers dey go work and then dey leave for trucks, assisted by di police, wey dey stop protesters from blocking di drivers.

Di Teamsters don “intentionally mislead di public” and “threaten, intimidate and attempt to coerce” employees and third-party drivers to join dem, na Amazon spokesperson talk.

Amazon get multiple locations for many U.S. metropolitan areas; wey dey shield am from potential disruptions.

Di company don talk say e no expect any effect for operations during one of di busiest times of di year.

For 2023, di company sell more than 500 million items from independent sellers for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

“E possible say some isolated incidents of delay fit dey, I just no think say dere go be material impact,” Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff talk.

Earlier dis year, Amazon announce $2.1 billion investment to raise pay for fulfillment and transportation employees for di United States, increasing base wages for employees by at least $1.50 to around $22 per hour.

Di International Brotherhood of Teamsters bin don give Amazon deadline of December 15, to take start negotiations but dat day pass without talks.

Di Teamsters talk say dem represent 10,000 workers for 10 Amazon facilities, but die-commerce giant dispute dis, say dere neva be elections or bargaining orders for di locations.

Labor actions don pick up pace across service industries following period wen workers for manufacturers for di automotive, aerospace and rail industries win substantial concessions from employers. U.S. port workers fit potentially strike for mid-January if contract talks no resolve.

Union wey dey represent more than 10,000 Starbucks baristas authorize potential strike earlier dis week, afta strikes roil companies including plane maker Boeing earlier dis year.

Amazon still neva recognize di first-eva facility to vote to unionize for Staten Island, and don file objections wit di National Labor Relations Board ova dat 2022 union vote.

For federal lawsuit wey dem file for September, Amazon challenge di constitutionality of di NLRB, wey dem form during di Great Depression of di 1930s.

For San Francisco, dere be for least three dozen protesters for di Amazon facility, wit Teamsters organizer estimate say between 15 and 20 be warehouse employees.

Janeé Roberts, 30-year-old San Francisco resident wey don work for di facility for almost two years, talk say her main reason for supporting di strike na safety conditions.

“No be only say I dey look my coworkers and see how dog-tired and wear and tear e dey take on dia bodies, but we no even dey given proper benefits as part-timers,” Roberts talk while she dey hold sign outside di gates.

Amazon, whose businesses include grocery chain Whole Foods, go face oda union actions for di months ahead.

Workers for Philadelphia Whole Foods for November file to hold union election, di first since Amazon acquire di business for 2017.

Germany’s United Services Union also announce strikes for Amazon warehouses across di kontri for solidarity wit Teamsters, starting on Thursday.

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