Hundreds of Amazon drivers in New York City have joined the Teamsters union in hopes of getting better wages and working conditions, and the majority of drivers for three Delivery Service Partners (DSPs) who work at the Queens warehouse have signed authorization cards, the union said.
According to a Teamsters press release, the drivers have been organizing for a year to secure fair wages, consistent schedules, reasonable workloads and trucks that are kept at a fair wage. They walked out in December as part of nationwide protests against Amazon’s unfair labor practices and union-busting tactics.
On paper, at least, joining a union would give drivers more leverage to push Amazon for better working conditions. But it doesn’t necessarily mean the company will cooperate. The Amazon Workers Union was one of the first successful internal organizing efforts in the US, but two years after it formed, it still doesn’t have a union contract. The group became affiliated with the Teamsters this summer.
But the union has achieved some success for Amazon workers. Last month, a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board determined that Amazon is a joint employer of several third-party drivers in Palmdale, California. The Teamsters hope that ruling sets a precedent for other DSP drivers. The drivers in Queens are the first Amazon workers to organize with the Teamsters following the decision.
