Amazon Teamsters at Staten Island’s JFK8 warehouse are joining their brethren’s strike against the retail giant in the days leading up to Christmas.
When the clock strikes midnight Saturday morning, employees at Amazon’s largest union facility will join a work stoppage that includes workers at Amazon operations in Queens, Atlanta, San Francisco, southern California and suburban Chicago.
“It takes real courage to stand up to a corporate bully and Amazon Teamsters are doing just that,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement about the growing protest.
The union accuses the $2 trillion company of refusing to bargain with workers who voted to become Teamsters. Workers accuse Amazon of failing to meet a Sunday deadline by coming to the negotiating table.
Workers at seven Amazon facilities walked off the job Thursday to hold out for better compensation and safer working conditions.
The union claims to represent 10,000 Amazon workers across 10 locations. It’s not clear how many of them are on the picket line or when they’ll return to work.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters says it speaks for some Amazon drivers and warehouse workers. Teamsters comprise roughly 1% of Amazon’s total workforce, according to CNN. Amazon reportedly takes issues with some of those workers being categorized as employees.
Amazon said Thursday it didn’t expect the Teamsters’ strike to impact holiday gift deliveries. The retailer hadn’t responded Friday to a Daily News request for comment.