Amazon workers at seven facilities initiated a strike on Thursday, organized by the Teamsters union, to push for a labor agreement during the critical holiday shopping season.
According to the Teamsters, the action was triggered by Amazon’s failure to meet a Sunday deadline for contract negotiations. While Amazon claims its operations remain unaffected, the union has described this as the largest strike in the company’s U.S. history. The Teamsters currently represent about 10,000 workers across 10 facilities, a small segment of Amazon’s 1.5 million employees worldwide.
In a parallel development, a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee report led by Sen. Bernie Sanders has accused Amazon of prioritizing speed over worker safety in its warehouses. The committee released the report amid the heightened scrutiny of the company’s labor practices. It presents concerning findings.
Amazon is No. 1 in the Top 1000 Database. The database is Digital Commerce 360’s ranking of the largest online retailers in North America by annual web sales. Amazon is also No. 3 in Digital Commerce 360’s Global Online Marketplaces Database, which ranks the 100 largest global marketplaces by third-party gross merchandise value (GMV).
4 key points in the Senate HELP report on Amazon
Among the Senate committee’s accusations, its report on Amazon asserted the following:
- Injury data manipulation. Amazon allegedly misrepresents injury rates by selectively comparing its warehouses, even though the company reported 30% more injuries than the industry average in 2023.
- Repetitive motion injuries. Warehouse employees experience high rates of musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive tasks and prolonged shifts, with insufficient intervention from Amazon.
- Unsafe productivity standards. The company neglects safety protocols to meet demanding productivity quotas, further elevating the risk of workplace injuries.
- Failure to address known risks. Amazon’s internal “Project Soteria” initiative identified high-speed requirements as a significant factor contributing to injuries. However, the initiative has yet to yield meaningful policy changes to enhance worker safety.
Senate report coincides with Amazon strike
The report outlines the impact of these practices, emphasizing chronic pain, disabilities, and diminished quality of life among workers. These findings have intensified public and governmental scrutiny of Amazon’s labor policies during one of its busiest seasons.
Amazon has categorically denied the allegations.
“At Amazon, our employees’ safety is and always will be our top priority — nothing is more important to us,” the company stated. “While we respect Sen. Sanders and his work chairing the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), the senator has issued another report that’s wrong on the facts and features selective, outdated information that lacks context and isn’t grounded in reality.”
Amazon also criticized the report’s findings as biased.
“Our voluntary, good-faith cooperation with this investigation was premised on the reasonable expectation that any report would be even-handed and truthful, even if that truth was inconvenient for people who want to claim that our workplace is anything other than safe,” the company said.
The ongoing strike and Senate report underscores growing tensions between Amazon and its workforce, with labor unions and lawmakers intensifying calls for improved conditions and greater accountability. As the holiday season progresses, the company faces increasing pressure to address these challenges while maintaining its reputation as a leader in the ecommerce industry.
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