Amazon Delivery Driver and Union Organizer Arrested During Nationwide Strike
An Amazon delivery driver and a top Teamsters Local 804 organizer were arrested during a picket at the Amazon DB4 Distribution Center in Maspeth, Queens, Thursday morning, hours after the union launched a nationwide strike against the company, according to video and multiple witness accounts.
Video obtained by THE CITY shows NYPD officers placing a zip-tie–cuffed Tony Rosario, the Local 804 organizer, in a police van shortly after 10 a.m. Thursday as the police blared in a recording: “You are unlawfully on the roadway and are obstructing vehicular traffic.”
As he is led into the van, Rosario shouts a call and response: “Who are we? Teamsters!”
Subcontractor Shell Game
More than 10,000 Amazon workers have joined the Teamsters since it launched its national campaign to organize the megaretailer’s delivery drivers, according to the union.
The union’s ambitions to organize Amazon received a major boost this summer, when the Amazon Labor Union — the independent Staten Island-based labor organization that established the first-ever unionized Amazon shop in the country — voted to merge with the Teamsters.
Amazon’s delivery fleet is heavily subcontracted, a dynamic that has become central to its dispute with the Teamsters. The company claims that it is the company it subcontracts and not itself that must respond to the workers, who drive Amazon-branded cars, wear Amazon-branded vests, and rely on Amazon for roadside support.
Workers’ Demands
The workers are seeking higher pay, better safety precautions, and job security. Workers walking the picket line on Thursday told THE CITY that the third-party employment model — where they’re at the whims of Amazon hiring and firing the companies it subcontracts — makes them feel like they are disposable.
“It’s like we are nothing to them,” said Mohamed Abbes, a driver at DBK4 for a little more than a year. “This is why we need a union.”
Amazon’s Response
A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Conclusion
The strike, which is the largest yet against Amazon’s fulfillment and delivery operations, is a major test of the company’s willingness to engage with its workers and address their concerns. As the holiday season approaches, the strike is likely to have a significant impact on Amazon’s operations and its customers.
FAQs
Q: Why did the Teamsters launch a nationwide strike against Amazon?
A: The Teamsters launched the strike in response to Amazon’s alleged refusal to bargain with the union over issues such as higher pay, better safety precautions, and job security.
Q: What are the workers seeking?
A: The workers are seeking higher pay, better safety precautions, and job security.
Q: Why are Amazon workers feeling disposable?
A: Workers feel disposable because they are at the whims of Amazon hiring and firing the companies it subcontracts, which makes them feel like they are not valued or protected.
Q: Has Amazon responded to the strike?
A: A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
