Amazon workers join IBT, a 1.3 million-member union

The Amazon Workers Union has endorsed an affiliation with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), a union representing all public and private workers in the U.S. and Canada with more than 1.3 million members. This will mean that Amazon Workers Union members will become affiliated with the IBT.

Amazon Labor Union Votes to Ratify Teamsters Affiliation - International Brotherhood of Teamsters
https://teamster.org/2024/06/amazon-labor-union-votes-to-ratify-teamsters-affiliation/

How the Teamsters and a Homegrown Union Plan to Take On Amazon - The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/18/business/economy/amazon-labor-union-teamsters.html

Amazon Labor Union partners with International Brotherhood of Teamsters in New York
https://www.engadget.com/amazon-labor-union-partners-with-international-brotherhood-of-teamsters-in-new-york-140026309.html

Amazon Labor Union votes to join forces with Teamsters
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/06/18/amazon-labor-union-votes-to-join-forces-with-teamsters.html

On Tuesday, June 18, 2024 (local time), Amazon union members voted to join the IBT, and the affiliation was approved almost unanimously by 98.3%. The Amazon union is in the process of negotiating with Amazon to conclude a contract worth $1 trillion (about 160 trillion yen), so it is expected that joining the IBT will bring powerful resources to the negotiations.

BREAKING: Amazon Labor Union Votes to Ratify Teamsters Affiliation

After three days of voting, members of the Amazon Labor Union at JFK8 in New York have officially ratified the union's affiliation with the 1.3 million-member International Brotherhood of Teamsters. This is a… pic.twitter.com/glb31MQTAU

— Teamsters (@Teamsters) June 18, 2024

Derrick Palmer, vice president of the Amazon Workers Union, also reported on his X account that the Amazon Workers Union has officially joined the IBT. 'Congratulations to the Amazon Workers Union! This is a big moment for the labor movement,' he posted.

Breaking News: The Amazon Labor Union has officially affiliated with The Teamsters! Congratulations to the @amazon workers at JFK8! This is a huge moment for the labor movement 👏🏾 Let's get this contract pic.twitter.com/cKFXy9hnYO

— Derrick Palmer (@DerrickPalmer_) June 18, 2024

Dripped Out Trade Unionists , a rank-and-file member of IBT, also welcomed the partnership between the Amazon union and IBT.

Teamsters 🤝🏼 Amazon Labor Union https://t.co/BjzrxEpCOr pic.twitter.com/PnH04cXmVX

— Dripped Out Trade Unionists (@UnionDrip) June 18, 2024

Under the deal, IBT will be responsible for warehouse workers across the five boroughs of New York, including about 5,500 workers at Amazon's JFK8 logistics hub in Staten Island, New York.

'Amazon workers in our warehouses and in our drivers' seats have proven that they have the strength, unity and determination to stand up to the greediest employer on earth and win,' said IBT President Sean M. O'Brien. 'With hard work, courage and conviction, IBT and the Amazon Union will fight bravely to ensure that Amazon workers have the good jobs and safe working conditions they deserve in their union contract. IBT set the standard with our agreement to protect 340,000 UPS warehouse workers and drivers in our industry, and we have no doubt we will hold Amazon to that same standard, not the other way around. As long as Amazon exploits and abuses workers, this corporate tyrant must hold IBT and the Amazon Union accountable.'

'On behalf of the Amazon Workers Union, I am proud that our members have chosen the path to victory. We are stronger now than ever before. Standing up to Amazon with the support of IBT, our 1.3 million member union, gives us greater worker power, an opportunity to demand better working conditions for our members, and most importantly, an opportunity to secure a contract at JFK8,' said Chris Smalls, president of the Amazon Workers Union.