Hundreds of Teamster drivers and other union members set up picket lines in front of Amazon's delivery site in the City of Industry in an effort to force the company to the bargaining table.
Teamsters International President Sean O'Brien was at the rally and said it's time for the company to show appreciation for its workers and compensate them more closely to industry standards.
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"They've got to prove to these workers that they're appreciated by compensating them appropriately," O'Brien said. "If you are at UPS, you get full benefits. You get great pay. You got a pension that you can retire off, and you got a career path. There is no career path at Amazon, and it's a scheme. It's a white-collar crime syndicate, and they need to come correct."
O'Brien's final message to Amazon was simply, "When you f*ck with the brothers and sisters of the Teamsters, it's a full-contact sport. Put your helmets on and buckle your chin straps."
The picket line included newcomers and veteran drivers like Vanessa Valdez, who is convinced that working for Amazon should pay much better.
"After 6 years and being the longest-tenured driver for my company, I'm at $22.75. We deserve $30 an hour," said Valdez. "We're fighting for job security. We're fighting for sick days because we are not provided any sick days, vacation time, or paid holidays."
The action was one of more than 194 similar picket lines that were set up at Amazon facilities across the United States.
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