By Victor Vaughn, Red Phoenix correspondent, Maryland.

Striking Amazon workers led by members of the Teamsters union picketed two Amazon warehouses in Baltimore (BWI2 and BWI5) on the evening of Wednesday, Nov. 8, joining the nationwide protest initiated by unionized Amazon drivers in Palmdale, California. Dozens of other union workers and members of the Baltimore community came out to show support, walking the picket lines at sunset and constructing a “fat cat” inflatable on the intersection.

The protest saw a diverse group of participants, including members of the Baltimore Teachers Union, community supporters and local activists. The response highlights the connection between workers’ struggles across various sectors, with workers demanding the reinstatement of unlawfully terminated employees, recognition of the Teamsters Union, respect for negotiated contracts, and improved conditions. The ongoing strike has spread to over 20 Amazon warehouses across the United States.

The struggle started when 84 drivers and dispatchers from the DAX8 delivery station in Palmdale, CA, chose to affiliate with the Teamsters Local 396, marking the first union of Amazon drivers in the country. Despite the union bargaining a contract with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP), Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS), Amazon refuses to recognize and honor the union contract. Amazon is accused of dozens of unfair labor practices in violation of federal law within the last six months, including the firing of the entire 84-strong unit of newly-unionized workers on June 24.

A list of the violations include, but are not limited to:

• Eliminating additional routes from BTS to avoid unionization and in retaliation for the worker’s decision to be represented by the Teamsters;
• Terminating the entire bargaining unit on June 24, 2023;
• Transferring additional work from BTS to other non-unionized delivery services to avoid unionization;
• Directly causing the discharge of all 84 employees by transferring work away from the unit in direct retaliation to the workers’ legally protected union activities.

The four-month-long strike regarding Amazon’s illegal labor practices has since expanded to warehouses nationwide, including locations in Connecticut, Georgia, Michigan, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey.

The Baltimore warehouse protests come hot on the heels of Amazon announcing their intention to hire more than 7,500 employees in the Baltimore area to cope with the holiday season, as part of the 250,000 additional workers Amazon plans to hire across the USA for the holiday consumer rush. Many of these workers will face enormous workloads coupled with workplace surveillance and layoffs once the peak of the holiday shopping season passes.

A monopoly capitalist giant, Amazon’s enormous expansion has drawn less attention in recent years, even as it has doubled its fulfillment capacity since the pandemic. The strike reflects the broader push by Amazon workers across the U.S. to address issues of living wages, safety regulations, and fair treatment within the company. The California workers initially chose to unionize due to the refusal of management to solve systemic problems within Amazon, such as exploitative labor practices, understaffing, and hazardous working conditions, particularly in extreme weather conditions such as Palmdale’s scorching temperatures, which sometimes exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

The strike’s key demands include reinstating unlawfully terminated Palmdale employees, recognizing the Teamsters Union, honoring the negotiated contract, and engaging in bargaining to address issues such as low pay and hazardous working conditions.

The solidarity across different cities, and even from coast to coast, highlights a growing movement against Amazon’s disregard for its employees’ welfare and the exploitation of labor in the pursuit of corporate gains. While Amazon executives amass unprecedented wealth, workers face unsafe conditions, inadequate pay, and job insecurity.

Categories: Labor, U.S. News