Amazon Workers on Strike and Picketing at Local Warehouse Locations

EDITOR'S NOTE: This article has been changed to include additional quotes from Amazon and Teamsters Union 186

OXNARD, Calif. – Amazon workers in Southern California and across the country are on strike.

Jed Josson and others from Teamsters Local 186 were at the Oxnard location Thursday afternoon picketing.

Amazon Warehouse employees in Oxnard are not currently unionize and not on strike.

"There are about 10,000 employees that voted to have the union in nationwide. They won their election, Amazon is not recognizing the election and is refusing to come to the bargaining table... so that created unfair labor practice, said Josson, a Teamster Business Agent.

The Teamsters Union claim to represent nearly 10,000 Amazon workers across 10 facilities – they are picketing at multiple Amazon warehouse locations in Southern California to get information out to workers.

"There's about 7 locations that have been organized, the location in Oxnard is not," Josson explains. "So the Teamsters are out here to stop any Teamster vehicles from crossing the picket line and getting information out to the Amazon workers that they do have a right to organize and be in the Union."

Amazon says that employees have always had the right to be in a union or not.

“For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public – claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’. They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative," Kelly Nantel, Amazon spokesperson, said in a statement. "The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union."

The strike comes just a few says before the holidays, though Amazon says it does not expect the strike to impact its operations.

“What you’re seeing at these sites are almost entirely outsiders—not Amazon employees or partners—and the suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters. The truth is that they were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous. We appreciate all our team’s great work to serve their customers and communities, and thanks to them, we’re not seeing any impact to customers’ orders,” stated Nantel.