Amazon is under fire for ending its contract with Battle-Tested Strategies (BTS). This decision has resulted in the termination of 150 drivers who last week successfully unionized with the Teamsters. Just this week, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) found that Amazon had committed unfair labor practices. This decision comes on the heels of the company’s pushing for improved pay and working conditions for its drivers. The decision, released in Los Angeles, has further stoked the already heated battle lines between Amazon and union advocates.
The drivers, who worked out of Amazon’s DBK4 facility in Queens, organized a rally at the site shortly after their termination to protest the decision. The Teamsters allege that contract negotiations with Amazon have reached an impasse. That’s why Amazon warehouse workers at eight of its U.S. facilities are striking in the weeks leading up to Christmas. This latest strike reflects a broader wave of worker frustration as employees across the nation demand better conditions and pay.
Asserting jurisdiction, the NLRB has further determined that Amazon is a joint employer of the drivers. This ruling marks a sea change for legal accountability of labor practices and responsibilities. Following that ruling, Amazon has attacked the NLRB’s structure as being unconstitutional. In making this claim, they seem to suggest that the president does not have the authority to remove individual board members. As the NLRB has been without a quorum for months, they cannot rule on other labor disputes. This turn of events may push any further actions against Amazon’s anti-labor practices indefinitely into the future.
Eileen Hards, a spokesperson for Amazon, said the company has a vested interest in making sure delivery service partners succeed. She mentioned, “Our goal is to provide customers with fast delivery and great service – and we regularly review and make changes to the DSP program in support of this.” Hards noted a recent change designed to allow Delivery Service Providers (DSPs) to be more hands-on with their teams, claiming, “Changes like this not only benefit their employees, but our customers.”
Antonio Rosario, a policy director with the Teamsters, had some of the strongest words condemning Amazon’s behavior. He declared, “Amazon is breaking the law and we let the public know it.” The firing of drivers from BTS has sparked important conversations regarding the treatment of workers in the gig economy. This situation has ignited fiery discussions around labor rights at America’s largest corporations.
As this high-stakes chess game plays out, the effect on the overall state of Amazon’s workforce and their delivery operations is still anyone’s guess. Through unionization efforts led by drivers themselves, we’re witnessing a historic time when essential workers are demanding this right to organize. This movement is within one of the largest companies on the planet.