In a significant development for Amazon’s delivery network, the Teamsters announced on Monday that a group of Amazon drivers and dispatchers in Southern California have joined the union and successfully negotiated a tentative contract with their employer, who is an Amazon contractor. This marks the first instance of a union forming among Amazon’s approximately 3,000 Delivery Service Partners (DSPs).
However, Amazon has stated that it had already informed the company in question that it would be terminating its contract with them. The 84 workers in question are employed by Battle-Tested Strategies, a DSP that handles last-mile deliveries for Amazon. According to the Teamsters, this group operates out of Amazon’s DAX8 facility in Palmdale, near Los Angeles.
Eileen Hards, an Amazon spokesperson, emphasized that Battle-Tested Strategies had a history of failing to meet performance expectations and had been informed of the termination due to poor performance. Amazon believes that this situation is an attempt by the outside company to divert attention from their shortcomings.
Battle-Tested Strategies has not yet responded to requests for comment. The Teamsters, however, claim that the company voluntarily recognized the union, and a contract has already been negotiated. The workers have urged Amazon to honor the conditions of the agreement. It should be noted that Amazon is not obliged to do so if it no longer has a relationship with Battle-Tested Strategies.
One driver employed by a DSP at the DAX8 facility, Rajpal Singh, expressed the desire for greater accountability from Amazon regarding the working conditions of subcontracted drivers. Singh highlighted the irony of delivering in Amazon-branded vans and uniforms while being ignored when attempting to communicate with Amazon, calling for the company to listen to the union’s demands.
Unions, including the Teamsters, have faced challenges in organizing Amazon’s expansive delivery network, which includes drivers, warehouse workers, pickers, and packers. The ability to organize Amazon is crucial for the Teamsters, given Amazon’s potential impact on wages and working conditions across the logistics industry.
Last year, the Teamsters announced the establishment of a new Amazon division within the union, as part of their strategy to gain influence at the retail giant. Randy Korgan, the director of the division, stated that the DAX8 drivers are joining the union to demand fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect from the company.
The union has mentioned that the drivers will vote on the acceptance of their tentative contract agreement with Battle-Tested Strategies in the coming weeks. While specific details have not been released, the agreement reportedly includes immediate pay increases and provisions that ensure Amazon upholds health and safety standards.
The upstart Amazon Labor Union became the first labor group to unionize an Amazon facility when it won an election at the JFK8 warehouse in New York City last spring. The union is presently working towards negotiating its first collective bargaining agreement with the company.
Please note that this article has been updated to include a comment from Amazon.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
