AILSA CHANG, HOST:
Less than a week before Christmas, this was the scene outside some Amazon warehouses and delivery hubs today.
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UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Shouting) Who are we?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Shouting) Teamsters.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Shouting) And what do we want?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Shouting) Justice.
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Shouting) And when do we want it?
UNIDENTIFIED GROUP: (Shouting) Now.
CHANG: The Teamsters union called strikes at seven Amazon facilities today, in California, Illinois, New York and Georgia. The union is demanding that Amazon sit down and bargain a contract with some 10,000 of its members. NPR labor correspondent Andrea Hsu joins us now. Hi, Andrea.
ANDREA HSU, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK, so who are these workers? Like, what are their jobs, and what are they asking Amazon for?
HSU: Well, it's a mix. Some of them are direct employees of Amazon - you know, they do warehouse jobs. But a lot of them are drivers who work for third-party companies. You know, they're the ones who drive those kind of bluish-gray vans that you've probably seen in your neighborhood.
CHANG: Oh, yeah.
HSU: Yeah. And one of our member station reporters went out to the Amazon hub in Alpharetta, Georgia. He talked with one of those drivers, Gregory Dunn. Here's what he said workers want.
GREGORY DUNN: Better wages, better benefits, better working conditions, more PTO.
CHANG: That covers it. OK, so how big a crowd was it in Georgia?
HSU: Pretty small, actually - probably a couple dozen people altogether.
CHANG: Wow.
HSU: You know, they were on the side of the facility. They weren't blocking any gates, so trucks and vans were still driving in and out. Gregory Dunn had said he'd try to go over and get more drivers to join the picket line. But, you know, despite the modest turnout, he seemed pretty pumped to be out there. Here's what he said.
DUNN: I may look like a needle in a haystack, but we all fighting for the same thing, man. I'm fighting for them, fighting for all my brothers and sisters out here. They may not see the vision now, but they will see the vision soon.
HSU: And, you know, Ailsa, educating other drivers, other workers, seemed to be a theme at a lot of these pickets. East of LA, where there was a larger crowd, picketers were actually stopping drivers at the entrances so they could go talk to them about the union and about collective bargaining before they let them go on their way. But, by all accounts, it seemed the facilities were operating, and Amazon is saying they don't expect any impact to customers' orders.
CHANG: Interesting. OK, so what has Amazon said in response to today's strikes and these demands?
HSU: Well, Amazon has called this a PR play on the part of the Teamsters. The company has disputed that the Teamsters even represents these thousands of workers. And part of the issue is those third-party drivers. Amazon says they're not company employees, but this has been a subject of litigation. The Teamsters and federal labor officials have argued that even though these drivers are not direct employees of Amazon, they only work for Amazon. Amazon controls their wages and their working conditions. So the Teamsters' position is, under federal law, Amazon is what's called a joint employer. And this is why the Teamsters are saying Amazon needs to come to the table, but Amazon is fighting this in court.
CHANG: Hmm. OK. Well, in the meantime, for all of us, getting ready for Christmas, I mean, is this strike over? Is it going to continue tomorrow? What's going on?
HSU: Well, the Teamsters say that, at some locations, the pickets are going to go on all night. Others will take a break and come back in the morning. Beyond that, we don't really know. All the Teamsters have told us is that the strikes would last longer than one day. But the union does clearly recognize that, you know, this is a moment of leverage for workers 'cause lots of people are still hoping to get those last-minute gifts.
CHANG: Oh, yeah.
HSU: I will note that the union has promised to give striking workers what's known as strike pay at a rate of $1,000 a week. It's sort of a replacement income. And for some, that could be comparable to their pay. So some workers may be willing to stick it out a little longer to try to recruit more workers to their cause. But, clearly, a lot of workers chose not to join the picket lines, even for a day.
CHANG: That is NPR's Andrea Hsu. Thank you, Andrea.
HSU: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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