Teamsters union launches strike against Amazon amid holiday rush

Driving the news: The union says workers decided to walk out after Amazon ignored a Dec. 15 deadline for contract negotiations.

• "If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members," said Teamsters President Sean O'Brien said in a statement. "They ignored it."
• Walkouts began at 6 am Thursday at seven facilities in New York City, Atlanta and California. Local unions are also setting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon fulfillment centers, per a Teamsters statement.
• The union said about 10,000 workers have joined the Teamsters, fighting for higher wages, benefits and safer conditions.

Reality check: Those striking are just a small percentage of Amazon's massive workforce.

The other side: Amazon said in a statement that the Teamsters' claims of representing thousands of the company's employees are misleading.

• "They don't, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative about the independent small businesses who deliver on our behalf," said Eileen Hards, an Amazon spokesperson.
• "The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union," Hards said in a statement to Axios.

Zoom out: Amazon has faced union pressure and citations from state and federal regulators in recent years over allegations of unsafe warehouse conditions and poor management.

What we're watching: The Teamsters said workers at other facilities are prepared to strike, but did not specify where or how many additional union members would join the picket line.

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