Teamsters Union Launches 'Largest' Strike Against Amazon In US Amid Holiday Shopping Season

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(RTTNews) - Thousands of Amazon (AMZN) workers walked off from the job early Thursday to pressure the company into union contract negotiations, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents 10,000 workers across ten Amazon facilities.

"What we're doing is historic," said Leah Pensler, a warehouse worker at DCK6 in San Francisco in a press release. "We are fighting against a vicious union-busting campaign, and we are going to win."

The decision to strike amidst the peak holiday shopping season comes after Amazon failed to meet the union's December 15 deadline to initiate negotiations regarding new contracts for higher wages, and improved working conditions.

Warehouse workers at Amazon facilities in Skokie, Illinois; New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco and Southern California have joined the battle against the tech giant with more locations expected to join soon.

"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it," Teamsters General President Sean O'Brien complained.

"These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they've pushed workers to the limit and now they're paying the price. This strike is on them."

Responding to the strike, the Seattle-based company claimed that its employees already enjoy competitive pay, immediate health benefits, and career growth opportunities.

"For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public - claiming that they represent 'thousands of Amazon employees and drivers'. They don't, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative," company spokesperson Kelly Nantel said to Fox Business.

The company emphasized that Teamsters do not represent any Amazon employees as the National Labor Relations Board has certified only one unionized Amazon facility in Staten Island, New York, which has not yet gone on strike, despite having authorized one.

"The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union," Nantel added.