SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
An Amazon delivery driver carries boxes on February 2, 2021 in Hawthorne, California.
(Photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
With NLRB Complaint, Amazon Drivers 'One Step Closer' to Conditions They Deserve
"Amazon wants to reap the benefits of drivers' labor without having to take on any of the responsibility for their well-being—and those days are over," said Teamsters president Sean O'Brien.
Oct 02, 2024
Weeks after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that retail giant Amazon is a joint employer of its delivery drivers and is legally obligated to bargain with their union, the board on Wednesday issued a formal complaint, saying the company "failed and refused" to negotiate with the Teamsters to secure a contract for the workers.
The company acted illegally, says the complaint, when it terminated its contract with Battle-Tested Strategies, a contractor that employs the drivers, after they unionized.
The complaint also accuses Amazon of making "unlawful threats and promises," holding anti-union captive audience meetings, discouraging union activities by delaying employee start times and increasing workplace inspections, and refusing to share information with the union.
Amazon has until October 15 to respond to the complaint, or the NLRB will prosecute the company before an administrative law judge in March 2025.
"Amazon wants to reap the benefits of drivers' labor without having to take on any of the responsibility for their well-being—and those days are over," said Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien. "This decision brings us one step closer to getting Amazon workers the pay, working conditions, and contracts they deserve. Amazon has no choice but to meet us at the negotiating table."
In August the NLRB concluded an investigation and found that although Amazon employs the drivers through a contractor, it exerts sufficient control over the workers to be considered their employer under federal labor law.
"Amazon can no longer hide behind its DSP [Delivery Service Partner] program to skirt responsibility for its driver workforce," said Bryant Cline, an Amazon driver and member of the Teamsters Local 396 union in Palmdale, California, which 84 drivers voted to join last year. "Today's decision by the labor board makes official what we've long known to be true—DSP drivers are Amazon employees, and we have a fundamental right to organize, unionize, and demand fair treatment and a contract from our multibillion-dollar employer."
Also on Wednesday, more than 100 delivery workers at a warehouse in San Francisco voted to join their local Teamsters union.
"The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped," said the union. "Amazon workers: this is our moment."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Weeks after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that retail giant Amazon is a joint employer of its delivery drivers and is legally obligated to bargain with their union, the board on Wednesday issued a formal complaint, saying the company "failed and refused" to negotiate with the Teamsters to secure a contract for the workers.
The company acted illegally, says the complaint, when it terminated its contract with Battle-Tested Strategies, a contractor that employs the drivers, after they unionized.
The complaint also accuses Amazon of making "unlawful threats and promises," holding anti-union captive audience meetings, discouraging union activities by delaying employee start times and increasing workplace inspections, and refusing to share information with the union.
Amazon has until October 15 to respond to the complaint, or the NLRB will prosecute the company before an administrative law judge in March 2025.
"Amazon wants to reap the benefits of drivers' labor without having to take on any of the responsibility for their well-being—and those days are over," said Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien. "This decision brings us one step closer to getting Amazon workers the pay, working conditions, and contracts they deserve. Amazon has no choice but to meet us at the negotiating table."
In August the NLRB concluded an investigation and found that although Amazon employs the drivers through a contractor, it exerts sufficient control over the workers to be considered their employer under federal labor law.
"Amazon can no longer hide behind its DSP [Delivery Service Partner] program to skirt responsibility for its driver workforce," said Bryant Cline, an Amazon driver and member of the Teamsters Local 396 union in Palmdale, California, which 84 drivers voted to join last year. "Today's decision by the labor board makes official what we've long known to be true—DSP drivers are Amazon employees, and we have a fundamental right to organize, unionize, and demand fair treatment and a contract from our multibillion-dollar employer."
Also on Wednesday, more than 100 delivery workers at a warehouse in San Francisco voted to join their local Teamsters union.
"The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped," said the union. "Amazon workers: this is our moment."
From Your Site Articles
- 'Stronger Than Ever': Amazon Labor Union Cements Alliance With Teamsters ›
- 'Biggest Ever Global Strike Against Amazon' Kicks Off on Black Friday ›
- 'Groundbreaking' Win as NLRB Rules Amazon Must Bargain With Delivery Drivers ›
- 'Tired of Amazon's Lies,' California Teamsters Join Strike Threat | Common Dreams ›
- As Amazon Sees Record Profits, Customers Say 'Start Delivering Climate Action' | Common Dreams ›
Related Articles Around the Web
Weeks after the National Labor Relations Board ruled that retail giant Amazon is a joint employer of its delivery drivers and is legally obligated to bargain with their union, the board on Wednesday issued a formal complaint, saying the company "failed and refused" to negotiate with the Teamsters to secure a contract for the workers.
The company acted illegally, says the complaint, when it terminated its contract with Battle-Tested Strategies, a contractor that employs the drivers, after they unionized.
The complaint also accuses Amazon of making "unlawful threats and promises," holding anti-union captive audience meetings, discouraging union activities by delaying employee start times and increasing workplace inspections, and refusing to share information with the union.
Amazon has until October 15 to respond to the complaint, or the NLRB will prosecute the company before an administrative law judge in March 2025.
"Amazon wants to reap the benefits of drivers' labor without having to take on any of the responsibility for their well-being—and those days are over," said Teamsters general president Sean O'Brien. "This decision brings us one step closer to getting Amazon workers the pay, working conditions, and contracts they deserve. Amazon has no choice but to meet us at the negotiating table."
In August the NLRB concluded an investigation and found that although Amazon employs the drivers through a contractor, it exerts sufficient control over the workers to be considered their employer under federal labor law.
"Amazon can no longer hide behind its DSP [Delivery Service Partner] program to skirt responsibility for its driver workforce," said Bryant Cline, an Amazon driver and member of the Teamsters Local 396 union in Palmdale, California, which 84 drivers voted to join last year. "Today's decision by the labor board makes official what we've long known to be true—DSP drivers are Amazon employees, and we have a fundamental right to organize, unionize, and demand fair treatment and a contract from our multibillion-dollar employer."
Also on Wednesday, more than 100 delivery workers at a warehouse in San Francisco voted to join their local Teamsters union.
"The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped," said the union. "Amazon workers: this is our moment."
From Your Site Articles
- 'Stronger Than Ever': Amazon Labor Union Cements Alliance With Teamsters ›
- 'Biggest Ever Global Strike Against Amazon' Kicks Off on Black Friday ›
- 'Groundbreaking' Win as NLRB Rules Amazon Must Bargain With Delivery Drivers ›
- 'Tired of Amazon's Lies,' California Teamsters Join Strike Threat | Common Dreams ›
- As Amazon Sees Record Profits, Customers Say 'Start Delivering Climate Action' | Common Dreams ›
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.