On Thursday, a group of Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers staged a walkout at their delivery facility, demanding that Amazon engage in negotiations with them. According to a press release by the Teamsters, this strike marks the first instance of Amazon drivers walking out in the United States.
The striking drivers, employed by the Amazon delivery service partner (DSP) Battle-Tested Strategies in Palmdale, California, joined the Teamsters union in late April. They are now urging Amazon to participate in collective bargaining for a contractual agreement. The drivers have already successfully negotiated and ratified a contract with the DSP, which voluntarily recognized their union.
Previously, Amazon has argued that it is not obligated to negotiate with these drivers since they are not directly employed by the company but by the contracted DSP. Over the past month, the union has been striving to challenge this stance, asserting that despite Amazon’s attribution of all responsibilities to the DSP, the company maintains “complete control” over the operations of the DSP.