If Santa comes late this year, tell little Suzy to blame the Teamsters union, which has called an illegal strike at Amazon warehouses amid the pre-Christmas delivery rush. The union plans to punish millions of Americans to spite Amazon.
The Teamsters on Thursday urged Amazon workers across the country to walk off the job to pressure the online retailer to recognize and collectively bargain with the union. Teamsters President Sean O’Brien said customers frustrated by delivery delays should “blame Amazon’s insatiable greed” and that “this strike is on them.”
No, the Teamsters are striking on Amazon customers. While the Teamsters claim to represent nearly 10,000 of Amazon’s some 1.5 million workers, Amazon doesn’t recognize the union as their representative. Nor do many of the workers who haven’t voted for the union.
Amazon uses a network of contractors to deliver packages. Many drivers whom the Teamsters claim to represent are independent contractors, whom federal law prohibits from organizing. Drivers employed by these contractors also aren’t Amazon employees, and Amazon is under no obligation to bargain with them.
Those who are not legally allowed to strike are the ones who need to do it the most.