Hundreds of drivers in New York City have joined the union in the hope of obtaining better pay and working conditions. The union says a majority of drivers at each of three delivery service partners (DSPs) working out of a Queens warehouse have signed authorization cards. According to a Teamsters press release, the drivers have been organizing for a year to secure fair pay, consistent schedules, reasonable workloads and proper pay maintained trucks.
At least on paper, joining the union should give the drivers more leverage as they push Amazon for better working conditions. But that doesn't necessarily mean the company will play ball. The Amazon Labor Union, one of the first major successful organization efforts within the company in the US, has yet to secure a union contract, two years after forming. The group became a Teamsters affiliate this summer.
However, the union has found some success on behalf of Amazon workers. Last month, a regional National Labor Relations Board director determined that Amazon is a joint employer of some third-party drivers in Palmdale, California. The Teamsters hope that finding will set a precedent for the rest for DSP drivers elsewhere.
The Queens drivers are the first Amazon workers to organize with the Teamsters following that decision, marking a significant step in the collective bargaining landscape for Amazon and its contractors.
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