Fox Business’ Madison Alworth and ‘Mornings with Maria’ panel discuss the latest updates on Amazon warehouse workers’ coordinated strike effort just days before Christmas.
Teamster drivers have expanded their strike against amazon Just days until Christmas, and thousands more are standing by, vowing to hold out for as long as it takes to bring the online retail giant to the table.
Teamster driver Christopher Velez is among those marching in the picket line. Standing outside in twelve-degree temperatures early Monday morning in Maspeth, New York, he spoke with Fox Business’s Madison Alworth about the ongoing strike.
“Put yourself in our shoes,” he said. “We’re here. We’re fighting for something. We’re tired of being abused as slaves. Slavery ended a long time ago, so I’m just hoping everything gets resolved soon And everything will be back to normal.”
Teamsters union launches historic nationwide strike against Amazon: ‘There will be a price to pay’
Teamster drivers (left) striking against Amazon. Christopher Velez (right) is a union member striking in Maspeth, Queens, New York. (Getty Images)
Velez said he is “not really worried” about the possibility of Amazon never coming to the negotiating table because “there will come a time when they have to negotiate with us one way or another.”
He added, “They don’t like that we’re Amazon employees, but we’re Amazon employees, and we’re out here fighting.” “It’s global. It’s around the world from Europe to the United States. We’re going to hit them. We’re going to hit them hard.”
However, Amazon has firmly stated that they have no intention of sitting down with the Teamsters because, in their words, they “do not represent any Amazon employee.”
Amazon national spokesperson Kelly Nantel told Fox Business last week that “there is no strike” and termed the movement as a “protest”.
“There are no Amazon employees or drivers involved in this activity. The protest that we have is designed and manufactured by the Teamsters to make a point,” he said, “but I think it’s really important that the audience Understand that the Teamsters do not represent any Amazon employee, and they do not represent any of our third-party drivers.”
Amazon workers in New York City are among those organized under the Teamsters union in cities across the US who went on strike on Thursday, December 19, 2024. (WNWY)
Teamsters spokesperson Kara Deniz responded to Amazon’s comments by insisting that the company is “disturbing the American public with its false stories.”
He said, “The truth is that over 20 bargaining units representing approximately 9,000 employees have successfully organized because for many years the company has exploited and abused workers, and these workers are fed up and fighting back. Are.”
Deniz said, “No matter how big Amazon’s corporate PR machine is, they can’t fool the American public into believing that drivers delivering Amazon packages in Amazon-branded vans don’t actually work for Amazon. Are.” “Nobody believes this nonsense. Amazon needs to stop shirking its legal obligation to these workers and come to the bargaining table now.”
The strike, which began last week, initially included seven centers in California, Georgia, Illinois and New York.
Employees at two additional locations – Staten Island And at another location in California – left the job over the weekend to join the strike.
Get Fox Business by clicking here
Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien called on Amazon to provide better wages for its union members and ‘negotiate’ just days before the busy holiday rush.
Teamsters union president Sean O’Brien encouraged the expansion.
He said, “Amazon executives are cowards who hide behind lies, threats and intimidation to shirk their responsibilities to employees and the public.” “It takes real courage to stand up to corporate bullies, and the Amazon Teamsters are doing just that.”
The union claims Amazon ignored their December 15 deadline to negotiate new contracts for higher wages, better benefits and safer working conditions.
Fox Business’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
