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After several days of protests, thousands of Amazon (AMZN+1.85%) delivery drivers have ended their strike, but tensions remain high.
The Teamsters union, which represents around 7,000 workers across the U.S., has vowed to continue fighting for better working conditions.
“Stay tuned,” a union representative told CNN, stressing that their efforts to secure better pay, benefits, and safe working conditions are far from over.
The strike began on Dec. 19, just before the holiday shopping season, and lasted until Christmas Eve. Although the walkout involved workers across multiple states and sparked numerous protests at Amazon facilities, only nine locations were directly impacted. The Teamsters claim it was the “largest strike” against Amazon to date.
Amazon, however, claims the strike did not disrupt its operations or deliveries. The company argues that the protesting workers, are not its direct employees, instead classifying them as independent contractors. Teamsters, however, insisted the the delivery drivers should be treated as employees and have the right to unionize.
Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson, pushed back against the Teamsters’ claims, stating that because workers are contracted through third-party delivery services, they are not Amazon employees. She further described the union’s efforts as a “PR play,” calling the protests over the past year, including this strike, “illegal.”
“The Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative,” Nantel told Quartz in an email.
The Teamsters represent less than 1% of Amazon’s workforce, making their push for change an uphill battle. With a market cap value of more than $2 trillion, Amazon ranks second on the Fortune 500, and is considered the second largest private-sector employer in the U.S.
A majority of Amazon workers are not unionized, including those at its Staten Island warehouse and its San Bernardino, California air hub.
The Teamsters fight for better conditions for Amazon workers comes around the same time that the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), is urging for more strong safety measures at Tyson (TSN-2.00%) poultry processing plants. A boiler explosion at a Tyson Georgia facility early Friday morning left one worker dead and others severely injured.