Labor group calls Amazon an ‘existential threat,’ will announce plans to unionize workers

A union rep outside the Amazon fulfillment warehouse in Alabama.
A union rep outside the Amazon fulfillment warehouse in Alabama. Photo credit Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images

A U.S.-Canadian workers union is stepping up to help Amazon employees insist on improvements to their workings conditions, according to a report from Motherboard.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters—which bills itself as the largest, strongest, and most diverse union—crafted a resolution, reviewed by Motherboard, that said, “Unionizing and building worker power at Amazon is the top priority moving forward.”

Teamsters Union is devoting resources to creating a special division to address the issues facing Amazon employees. The announcement came amid Amazon’s widely advertised Prime Day sale.

“Amazon is an existential threat to every Teamster out there,” said Teamsters President James Hoffa. “We will organize Amazon.”

Delegates from 500 Teamsters union shops received copies of the resolution during a virtual meeting Tuesday. The union boasts 1.4 million members. Members anticipate voting on the resolution Thursday.

“The International Brotherhood of Teamsters recognizes that there is no clearer example of how America is failing the working class than Amazon,” said the resolution. “From its start as a book retailer, Amazon has grown to become an e-commerce giant and has disrupted industry after industry and displaced hundreds of thousands of jobs.”

Since its founding in 1994, Amazon has avoided workers’ attempts to unionize. An April vote against forming a union by Alabama workers has been challenged over accusations of interference.

Amazon could become the country’s biggest employer in the next several years. The company has previously said it respects employees’ right to unionize without fear of retaliation.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images