Amazon workers at Staten Island warehouse join thousands on strike
BLOOMFIELD, Staten Island (WABC) -- More local Amazon workers walked off the job Saturday morning, this time on Staten Island.
Workers at the JFK8 warehouse in Bloomfield joined picket lines in solidarity with workers in Maspeth, Queens and other locations around the country.
It is all part of what the Teamsters union says is the biggest-ever strike against Amazon.
The union said that "momentum continues to mount" as workers seek "fair treatment" from the online retailer.
The action involves thousands of workers who are picketing in four states.
"The Amazon Teamsters movement grows bigger and stronger every day and will not be stopped," the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a statement posted on social media late Thursday.
The JFK8 warehouse is the second facility in New York City to join the picket line.
The other Amazon distribution center is in Maspeth, Queens.
The demonstrators in Queens are not Amazon employees, but the Teamsters' Union is supporting them in their protest for better benefits, more money, and job security.
Two people were arrested and got tickets for disorderly conduct on Thursday.
"Don't push me. Don't push me. I'm working. I'm at work," Amazon driver Jogsyn Cardenas said.
Amazon truck driver Cardenas says he stopped his truck near the picket line in an intense standoff between workers and the company to unionize its employees.
Cardenas was one of two people arrested and given a ticket for disorderly conduct.
"I was inside the car. I didn't even get out. They just opened the door from me and they grabbed me out of the car," Cardenas said.
Nearly 200 protesters including Amazon workers and supporters picketed outside the Amazon distribution center in Maspeth.
Organizers say they're part of 10,000 workers nationwide at seven Amazon facilities on strike.
"I see UPS drivers on my route every day. They tell me good morning. We're doing the same job and they're getting paid double as I am. When in reality, Amazon is making more money than UPS." Amazon driver Emmanuel Trinidad said.
The Teamsters Union, which is holding the largest strike so far against Amazon, says the nationwide protest follows the $2 trillion dollar company's repeated refusal to follow the law and bargain with the Amazon workers who organized with Teamsters.
"This is a union building. They should be negotiating in good faith with these workers at the bargaining table. They refuse to," Antonio Rosario of Teamsters Local 804 organizer said.
Rosario, a strike organizer, was the other person arrested.
He says Teamsters agreed to let one Amazon truck out of its warehouse every 2-3 minutes.
"I continued to walk to use my right. They said I was blocking. I was not blocking. I continued to walk and I told them the 2 to 3 minutes are not up and they said they just decided to arrest me," Rosario said.
Amazon said the strike was not expected to impact operations and claimed the strikes were being attended by outside organizers. Kelly Nantel, director of Global Corporate Issues and Media Relations at Amazon, said the company had not seen an impact on deliveries.
"Thankfully, the vast majority of our employees and the drivers who deliver on our behalf came to work today to do what they do every day," Nantel said on Thursday. "They're doing a great job of working for their customers and their communities and as a result of their hard work."
The National Labor Relations Board, where these complaints are filed, has noted, "NLRB Regional Offices have docketed 331 open or settled unfair labor practice charges filed with the Agency by various parties against Amazon, its subsidiaries, and DSPs as joint employers across 26 states. In addition, 17 charges have been filed against the Teamsters or ALU by either Amazon or individuals."
Mayor Eric Adams said, "We strongly encourage the employer and the workers to come to a fair and reasonable agreement on economic terms like the city has done with over 97% of the workforce."
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Some information from ABC News
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