Pittsburgh-area union workers and leaders picketing in support of Amazon strike in major U.S. cities
IMPERIAL, Pa. (KDKA) -- Thousands of Amazon workers from coast to coast went on strike Thursday morning and locally, members of the Teamsters and other unions showed their support. The timing all comes amidst the peak holiday shipping rush.
Starting bright and early, union members from the Greater Pittsburgh Region started putting pressure on Amazon, blocking trucks from entering the fulfillment center in Imperial, and getting approval with some car honks from workers.
Teamsters Local 249 President Kevin Schmitt said the Amazon workers in Imperial are not unionized, but local union members wanted to picket in solidarity with Amazon employees nationwide.
"Whatever happens to the packages, it's up to Amazon," Schmitt said. "Amazon right now has put themselves on strike."
He said more than 20 facilities in the U.S. have voted to unionize with the Teamsters, as workers experience low pay and poor treatment, but he said Amazon is ignoring their requests to sit down and negotiate.
"We filed labor board charges. [Amazon is] breaking the law, which gives us the right under the NLRB to put up picket signs across the country, and that's what we're doing," Schmitt said.
In the meantime, he said union workers, including tractor-trailer and delivery drivers, won't be crossing the picket line as they stand up for Amazon employees. This means UPS, U.S. Postal Service, and more shipping providers could be impacted, and as a result, your holiday packages.
KDKA reached out to a variety of these companies for comment. UPS and USPS responded with similar statements saying they respect their employees' rights to picket. UPS added that they "have contingency plans in place to continue service to [their] customers."
As for Amazon, the shipping giant said it doesn't expect an impact on its operations during what the Teamsters call the largest strike against the company in U.S. history.
An Amazon spokesperson told KDKA "[the Teamsters] were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to come and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous."
"If they call us up today to sit down and negotiate in good faith, which legally they're obligated to do, then it'll be business as usual," Schmitt said.
Schmitt said the Imperial facilities are the only ones in the area where union workers are picketing.
He also said even though Imperial is not unionized, he believes that could now change.