Teamsters expand strike against Amazon | News | komu.com
The Teamsters union announced late Friday that warehouse workers at Amazon’s massive JFK8 sorting and distribution center in Staten Island, New York, have officially joined the ongoing strike against the retail giant. This move adds significant weight to a labor action that has already drawn national attention throughout the week.
Amazon, however, maintains that the strike will not disrupt customer deliveries. The company highlighted its extensive logistics network and emphasized that the impacted facilities represent only a small portion of its overall operations. Amazon operates several other distribution centers in close proximity to the Staten Island hub, including a smaller nonunion facility directly across the street.
In a statement released Friday, Amazon reassured customers, saying, “Our logistics infrastructure was built to deliver on our customer promise. We believe in the strength of our network and plan for contingencies to minimize potential operational impact or costs.”
The strike is part of a broader campaign by the Teamsters and other unions to organize Amazon workers, challenging the company’s long-standing resistance to unionization efforts. With more than 740,000 U.S. employees across 1,000 warehouses and distribution centers, Amazon is the nation’s second-largest private-sector employer. The company reported a staggering net income of $39.2 billion in the first nine months of 2024, more than doubling its profits from the same period in 2023.
JFK8, the Staten Island facility at the center of this latest development, holds particular significance. It was the first Amazon warehouse in the U.S. where workers voted to unionize in April 2022, with 55% voting in favor. The facility employs over 5,000 hourly workers, according to the union, though Amazon has not confirmed this figure.
The roots of labor unrest at JFK8 go back to March 2020 when workers staged a walkout over health and safety concerns during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Friday’s announcement by the union suggests strong ongoing support for labor actions among employees at the facility.
While the strike currently affects a small fraction of Amazon’s nationwide operations, JFK8’s prominence as a key distribution hub adds weight to the ongoing labor dispute. With both sides standing firm, the situation remains tense, and the broader implications for Amazon’s operations and labor relations are yet to unfold.
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