Teamsters Authorize Strike At Amazon's New York Warehouses: 'Get Ready For A Fight' (UPDATED)

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comment from Amazon.

Amazon.com Inc AMZN faces another labor dispute in New York as Amazon Teamsters at two warehouses authorized a strike against the Seattle-based company on Friday.

Workers on Strike: Union members at two New York City facilities, JFK8 and DBK4, voted to authorize strikes. The motion follows Amazon’s alleged refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract. The Teamsters have previously complained of “low wages, disrespect, and illegal union busting.”

An Amazon spokesperson told Benzinga in a statement the Teamsters are misleading the public with statements that the union represents thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.

“The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges,” said spokesperson Eileen Hards.

Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien gave Amazon a Dec. 15 deadline for negotiating a contract with its workers.

“Amazon is pushing its workers closer to the picket line by failing to show them the respect they have earned,” O’Brien said in a statement. “We’ve been clear: Amazon has until December 15 to come to the table and bargain for a contract. If these white-collar criminals want to keep breaking the law, they better get ready for a fight.”

The two warehouses are located in Queens and Staten Island. They service the over 20 million residents in the New York metropolitan area.

Past Events: Amazon is no stranger to disputes with its employees.

The Amazon Labor Union first partnered with the Teamsters in June.

In 2023, a National Labor Review Board judge found Amazon guilty of violating labor laws at the JFK8 warehouse. The company illegally interfered with union activities, confiscated organizing materials, surveilled employees and fired pro-union organizers. In 2024, the NLRB charged Amazon again for failing to acknowledge and negotiate with the Teamsters.

The company has also spent tens of millions hiring “union avoidance” consultants.

In May, an NLRB judge found CEO Andy Jassy to have violated federal labor law with his anti-union statements on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program.

“The decision reflects poorly on the state of free speech rights today, and we remain optimistic that we will be able to continue to engage in a reasonable discussion on these issues where all perspectives have an opportunity to be heard,” company spokesperson Mary Kate Paradis said following the ruling.

In September, Amazon raised wages for drivers to $22 an hour, a 7% increase year-over-year.

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