Amazon workers are striking at seven locations in the United States, alleging unfair treatment

Amazon.com workers at seven U.S. facilities went on strike early Thursday during the holiday shopping rush, as workers protested what they say is the retail giant’s unfair treatment of its employees.

Warehouse workers in cities including New York, Atlanta and San Francisco were participating in what Teamsters officials called the largest strike ever against Amazon — but one that may barely cause a ripple in the company’s widespread shipping operations.

CBC News reached out to Amazon to ask if the strike would impact its operations in Canada.

“There were no strikes in Canada and there were no operational implications,” a company spokesperson said.

As the world’s second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon has long been a target of unions that say the company’s focus on ever-faster speed and efficiency could lead to injuries. The company says it pays industry-leading wages and uses automation designed to reduce repetitive stress.

Amazon shares rose 1.8 percent Thursday afternoon.

The workers told Reuters they want Amazon to come to the negotiating table and acknowledge the pressure to meet demands that affect their health. However, the strikers represent a small number of the more than 800,000 people who work for Amazon at more than 600 fulfillment centers, delivery stations and same-day facilities in the United States.

“Amazon pretends there is no quota system, but there is a strict quota system that pushes people beyond their real physical limits in an unnatural way,” said Jordan Soref, 63, who delivers about 300 packages a day for Amazon in the United States. New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn.

“The more you do, the more you are expected to do.”

Soref was one of about 100 people outside the Amazon facility in Queens, including several Teamsters members who do not work for Amazon. However, the facility continued to operate, with other drivers going to work and then leaving in trucks, with the help of police, who were preventing protesters from obstructing the drivers.

Amazon accuses the union of deliberately misleading the public

An Amazon spokesperson said the Teamsters “intentionally misled the public” and “threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce” employees and third-party drivers to join them.

Amazon has multiple locations in several U.S. metropolitan areas, protecting it from potential disruption. The company said it does not expect any impact on operations during one of the busiest times of the year. In 2023, the company sold more than 500 million products from independent sellers on Black Friday and Cyber ​​Monday.

“There could be some isolated incidents of delay. I don’t think there will be a material impact,” Morningstar analyst Dan Romanoff said.

Earlier this year, Amazon announced a $2.1 billion US investment to boost wages for US delivery and transportation employees, increasing employees’ base wages by at least $1.50 to about $22 per hour.

The international Muslim Brotherhood had given Amazon a deadline of December 15 to begin negotiations, but that day passed without talks. The Teamsters say they represent 10,000 workers at 10 Amazon facilities, but the e-commerce giant disputes that, saying there were no elections or bargaining orders over the locations.