Strikes to sweep Germany and U.S. as Amazon workers unite to Make Amazon Pay

With news of Amazon workers in Germany, members of ver.di, striking alongside their U.S. counterparts, UNI Global Union General Secretary Christy Hoffman issued the following statement:

 

“The movement to Make Amazon Pay keeps growing stronger with every action. Today, Amazon workers are united across borders with the Teamsters and ver.di, are striking together to say loud and clear: Enough is enough. It’s time for the company to negotiate with workers in the U.S., in German and everywhere the company operates.

“Amazon has profited enormously off the backs of its workers, while refusing to meet their demands for fair wages, safe working conditions, and respect on the job. Just like during Black Friday, these strikes are a powerful reminder that Amazon cannot continue to ignore its workforce. Workers are Amazon’s backbone, and it’s time for this trillion-dollar corporation to listen to the people who make its success possible. The world is watching, and the call for justice at Amazon can not be silenced.”

 

 

The German United Services Union (ver.di) has announced targeted strike action at Amazon locations nationwide for the Holiday season, starting on Thursday, 19.12.24 in Dortmund and Werne. At the same time, strikes at Amazon are being called nationwide for the first time in the USA. The Teamsters will launch the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history beginning at 6 a.m. EST on Thurs., Dec. 19. The nationwide action follows Amazon’s repeated refusal to follow the law and bargain with the thousands of Amazon workers who organized with the Teamsters.

 

Workers will join the picket line from DBK4 in New York City; DGT8 in Atlanta; DFX4, DAX5, and DAX8 in Southern California; DCK6 in San Francisco; and DIL7 in Skokie, Ill. Amazon Teamsters at other facilities are prepared to join them.

 

Teamsters local unions are also putting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide. Amazon warehouse workers and drivers without collective bargaining agreements have the legal right to honor these picket lines by withholding their labor.

 

UNI Global Union is a co-organizer of the worldwide “Make Amazon Pay” protests and coordinates the Amazon Global Union Alliance, to which the Teamsters and ver.di belong. The trade unions are also members of UNI. Teamsters and ver.di members also took part in the “Make Amazon Pay” protests on Black Friday, which brought thousands to the streets in over 30 countries.

 

UNI Global Union is the co-convenor of the worldwide Make Amazon Pay protests and coordinates the Amazon Global Union Alliance, of which the Teamsters and ver.di are members. The unions are also affiliates of UNI. Teamsters and ver.di members also participated in Black Friday’s ‘Make Amazon Pay ‘ protests which took thousands to the streets in over 30 countries.

 

Recent events have brought Amazon’s influence on our democracies into sharp focus. Reports reveal Amazon has underreported its lobbying expenditures across Europe by millions, and its refusal to participate in public hearings led the European Parliament to banning the company’s lobbyists. In the U.S., Amazon’s legal actions challenging the constitutionality of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) threaten to weaken protections for all American workers.

 

Amazon’s aggressive union busting is being challenged globally. In the United States, Amazon’s tactics against Alabama warehouse workers were so extreme that the federal government invalidated an initial union vote, forcing a second election and now a third one. As of today, the “captive audience” meetings Amazon and other corporations use to discourage unionization are illegal. In Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom, Amazon has been accused of intimidating workers to prevent unionization efforts. For example, Germany’s ver.di union has spent a decade urging Amazon to comply with collective bargaining standards, while in the UK, Amazon workers are facing an intense anti-union campaigns. In India, workers with the Amazon India Workers Association, supported by UNI Global Union, are calling for better working conditions in extreme heat.

 

Make Amazon Pay’s demands have also resonated with  regulators and have encouraged progressive legislative wins. In the US, several states, including California, Minnesota, Oregon, New York and Washington, have passed laws directly addressing Amazon’s high-pressure warehouse conditions. In the UK, an employee rights bill that simplifies the process to recognize unions is currently under parliamentary debate, while the European Union investigates Amazon’s safety practices across the continent.

 

 

Make Amazon Pay Day was launched on Black Friday in 2020 by UNI Global Union and Progressive International. Each year, the movement has expanded, bringing together a growing coalition of unions, activists, and allies demanding that Amazon prioritize people over profits. With the participation of over 30 unions, environmental organizations, and civil society groups, Make Amazon Pay Day challenges Amazon’s power with a unified call for systemic change.