A gaggle of 84 unionized Amazon drivers in California walked off the job Thursday in protest of the corporate’s insurance policies and refusal to discount with the Teamsters.

Amazon contends that because the drivers on the Palmdale facility work for Amazon supply companion Battle-Tested Strategies reasonably than the corporate itself, it isn't obligated to discount with the Teamsters Local 396 union, with whom the drivers are affiliated.

 Battle-Tested Strategies signed a union contract with the drivers in April, the first-such contract for drivers in Amazon’s supply community. 

Thursday’s walkout is the first-ever Amazon driver’s strike within the United States, in response to the Teamsters. 

The union says Amazon has complete management over Battle-Tested Strategies and argues that ending unfair labor practices requires Amazon’s adherence to the contract with the corporate. The contract mandates protected gear for drivers and permits them to refuse what they contemplate to be unsafe deliveries.

Chief among the many drivers’ issues is their security, notably in the summertime swelter. Temperatures in Palmdale, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles, can hit triple digits throughout the summer time.

“The back of an Amazon van feels like an oven in the summer. I’ve felt dizzy and dehydrated, but if I take a break, I’ll get a call asking why I’m behind on deliveries. We are protecting ourselves and saying our safety comes first,” driver Cecilia Porter stated in an announcement from the Teamsters.

Inside Amazon vans, the warmth can climb effectively previous 120 levels, drivers say. 

“The vans we have — it’s a big metal container. In the extreme heat it can get upwards of 130, 135 degrees inside the van … the only comparison I can give you is like walking into an oven … I go through 10-12 bottles of water a day, and I urinate once,” Amazon driver and Teamsters member Rajpal Singh instructed Vice.

The Teamsters additionally says Amazon terminated its contract with Battle-Tested Strategies as a result of staff organized to hitch a union employee organizing. The group filed an unfair labor observe grievance to the National Labor Relations Board in May over the contract termination.

Amazon, in the meantime, says that Battle-Tested Strategies didn't dwell as much as its requirements.

“While we respect everyone’s right to express their opinions, the facts here are being intentionally misrepresented … This company has a history of underperformance and not providing a safe environment, and was notified that Amazon was ending their contract before the Teamsters got involved to try and rewrite the facts,” Amazon spokesperson Eileen Hards stated in an announcement.

It was not disclosed when Amazon’s contract with Battle-Tested Strategies will run out. Battle-Tested Strategies has not responded to a request for remark.

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