Editor’s Note: The following is a Press Release by International Brotherhood of Teamsters about the striking Amazon delivery drivers and unfair labor practices of Amazon.
SAN BERNARDINO, CA – Striking Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers from Palmdale, Calif., extended their picket line to an Amazon warehouse in San Bernardino, California (ONT5) today, to demand the e-commerce giant stop its unfair labor practices.
The growing strike will continue until Amazon reinstates the unlawfully terminated employees, recognizes the Teamsters, respects the contract negotiated by the workers, and bargains with the Teamsters Union to address low pay and dangerous working conditions.
“I work for one of the richest companies in the world, but the pay is so low that I have to work two other jobs as well to provide for my kids,” said Jovana Figueroa, a striking Amazon driver. “We are prepared to strike as long as we have to and take our picket lines to other Amazon warehouses to stop Amazon’s unfair labor practices. We are fighting for good jobs for all Amazon workers and we are going to win.”
Amazon drivers and dispatchers began their unfair labor practice strike at the Palmdale delivery station on June 24. The San Bernardino facility is the fourth Amazon warehouse that the striking drivers have picketed during their week-long strike. They extended their picket line to Amazon sortation centers in Mira Loma and Newark, California last week.
“These Amazon workers organized a union for fair pay and safe jobs, but Amazon illegally refused to recognize their union or bargain with them,” said Victor Mineros, Secretary-Treasurer of Teamsters Local 396. “The support from the community and other workers in this industry has been tremendous. We are going to hold this corporate criminal accountable for how it treats the workers who wear its uniforms and deliver its packages.”
The 84 workers in Palmdale joined Teamsters Local 396 in Los Angeles and bargained a contract with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP), Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS), in April. Despite the absolute control it wields over BTS and workers’ terms and conditions of employment, Amazon has refused to recognize and honor the union contract. Instead, Amazon has engaged in dozens of unfair labor practices in violation of federal labor law, including terminating the entire unit of newly organized workers.
“Amazon has brought nothing but pollution and low-wage jobs to our community,” said Michael Jones, a community member organizing with San Bernardino Airport Communities, who joined workers on the picket line. “Workers and community members are rejecting Amazon’s exploitative business model. We demand clean air and good jobs.”
Amazon drivers in Palmdale organized with the Teamsters to protect their safety in extreme temperatures, which regularly exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit during Palmdale summers. Their Teamster contract guarantees the rights of workers to drive safe equipment and refuse unsafe deliveries. Making the contract’s protections a reality will require an overhaul of Amazon’s exploitative labor practices.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.2 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
