New York Metropolis law enforcement officials broke up a picket line of Amazon workers attempting to dam supply vehicles from leaving an organization facility on Thursday.
Earlier within the day, practically 10,000 Amazon employees in a number of states went on strike, lower than per week earlier than Christmas.
The Worldwide Brotherhood of Teamsters announced in a information launch it launched its strike at seven Amazon amenities positioned in New York, Atlanta, Southern California, San Francisco and Skokie, Illinois.
“In case your package deal is delayed throughout the holidays, you possibly can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a transparent deadline to come back to the desk and do proper by our members. They ignored it,” mentioned Teamsters Normal President Sean M. O’Brien.
At an Amazon facility in Queens, the NYPD broke the picket line, permitting supply vehicles to depart, little question delivering many Christmas items.
“NYPD’s working for Amazon” a union chief shouts as police break up the picket line that was stopping some supply vehicles from leaving.
Cops later put up barricades to stop putting employees and their allies from blocking vehicles. @Teamsters pic.twitter.com/SWg4qSj5Vg
— Duncan Freeman (@deefreemank) December 19, 2024
“NYPD actually locking arms to guard Amazon’s operations lol,” Alex Press, a labor reporter for Jacobin, wrote.
NYPD actually locking arms to guard Amazon’s operations lol pic.twitter.com/BcKxrkaCoG
— Alex Press (@alexnpress) December 19, 2024
She additionally shared a video of an Amazon truck driver being arrested after he stopped his automobile in the course of the power entrance drive and tried to affix the strike.
A policeman then obtained within the truck and drove it away, Press reported.
from what I can inform, the NYPD simply arrested this driver for attempting to affix the strike. a cop then obtained in his automobile and drove it away pic.twitter.com/EL6eOyasdo
— Alex Press (@alexnpress) December 19, 2024
Democrat New York state Sen. Michael Gianaris posted on social media platform X in response, “NYPD out right here in Queens doing Amazon’s bidding by roughing up and arresting employees who’re standing up for themselves. The [Teamsters] have a proper to strike and our police ought to be defending them, not Jeff Bezos.”
NYPD out right here in Queens doing Amazon’s bidding by roughing up and arresting employees who’re standing up for themselves. The @Teamsters have a proper to strike and our police ought to be defending them, not Jeff Bezos pic.twitter.com/vg6FS0JbIy
— Sen. Mike Gianaris (@SenGianaris) December 19, 2024
Wired reported, “At round 9:50 am, NYPD introduced through loudspeaker that any employees who stood within the highway can be arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Shortly after, the NYPD positioned a Teamsters organizer beneath arrest, although it’s unclear in the event that they have been on the street. Finally, police arrange barricades outdoors the storage and started personally organizing the supply vans with non-striking Amazon loss-prevention employees.”
Breaking: After hours of Amazon Teamsters sustaining a robust picket line, cops broke the picket line for Amazon. pic.twitter.com/tO26JEZGdB
— Luis Feliz Leon (@Lfelizleon) December 19, 2024
Amazon workers are among the many highest-paid retail employees within the nation.
In September, the corporate introduced it was growing its complete compensation package deal for achievement and transportation employees to greater than $29 per hour, a rise of over $3,000 a yr for the common full-time worker. That determine included a median base wage of $22 per hour, plus the price of well being care and different advantages, the corporate mentioned in a news release.
On the scene of the Amazon strike:
The NYPD has now erected barricades to permit Amazon contractors to enter and go away the distribution heart, serving to Amazon break the picket line. pic.twitter.com/NHwKJmovLl
— Hell Gate *subscribe at this time!* (@HellGateNY) December 19, 2024
CBS News reported that Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel responded to the strike in a press release saying, “For greater than a yr now, the Teamsters have continued to deliberately mislead the general public — claiming that they signify ‘1000’s of Amazon workers and drivers.’ They don’t, and that is one other try and push a false narrative.”
She added, “The reality is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and tried to coerce Amazon workers and third-party drivers to affix them, which is unlawful and is the topic of a number of pending unfair labor follow fees towards the union.”
This text appeared initially on The Western Journal.
