Amazon delivery drivers unionize

Give your reasoning…

Hi, I am a local Amazon delivery driver in Grand Rapids. There is a group of drivers who are in touch with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters- Amazon division trying to organize a union. According to the Union representative you need at least 30 percent of the company to come together and unify.

Unionization offers several advantages to workers, including increased collective bargaining power, leading to better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It provides job security through negotiated provisions, such as layoff rules and seniority systems, while also ensuring better health insurance, retirement plans, and safety standards. Unions offer dispute resolution mechanisms and representation, giving employees a voice in workplace decisions and legal protection in cases of discrimination or unfair labor practices. They promote solidarity and may offer training programs for skill development. Additionally, unions can influence politics, advocating for policies that benefit workers and acting as a counterbalance to employer power,

Now, UPS Union dues are nearly nothing when considering that they don't have to pay for their health insurance. UPS starting wage is 22 percent higher than Amazon's starting wage. The driver's cap wage is 49 percent higher. UPS has time off, and Amazon does not. Yet the volume of work is the same. UPS has uniforms that will protect them from the elements. Amazon does not provide you with jackets but requires adherence to their policy of Amazon-branded jackets. The work chats are abusive in nature, with aggressive fear-inducing language, and demoralizing tactics to try to sabotage your self-worth.

In my experience, working at a DSP, you are subject to a large amount of unfair labor practices. Having a structured system that helps disperse power is highly valuable to any Amazon driver. However, it's essential to consider potential drawbacks like union dues and conflicts with management when deciding whether to unionize, as the impact of unionization can vary depending on various factors.

About a week ago, there were flyers handed out to multiple Grand Rapids DSPs with a contact number. Many of us don't make enough money to jeopardize our income by uniting together. One DSP fought back with a flyer, trying to defuse the situation by saying how bad a union is. Filled with false promises of "open door policies".

The strength of the people who drive for Amazon is in our numbers. Together, no matter your race or gender we are all subject to these working conditions. But we are the many, and they are the few.

Let us talk about it, unionization or no unionization? How do non-amazon drivers feel about it? How do we complete this mission? How can we congregate without retaliation?

We must keep our heads, and do this with dignity and respect. All we have is our own representation. Let us put our best foot forward.

Hi, I am a local Amazon delivery driver in Grand Rapids. There is a group of drivers who are in touch with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters- Amazon division trying to organize a union. According to the Union representative you need at least 30 percent of the company to come together and unify.

Unionization offers several advantages to workers, including increased collective bargaining power, leading to better wages, benefits, and working conditions. It provides job security through negotiated provisions, such as layoff rules and seniority systems, while also ensuring better health insurance, retirement plans, and safety standards. Unions offer dispute resolution mechanisms and representation, giving employees a voice in workplace decisions and legal protection in cases of discrimination or unfair labor practices. They promote solidarity and may offer training programs for skill development. Additionally, unions can influence politics, advocating for policies that benefit workers and acting as a counterbalance to employer power,

Now, UPS Union dues are nearly nothing when considering that they don't have to pay for their health insurance. UPS starting wage is 22 percent higher than Amazon's starting wage. The driver's cap wage is 49 percent higher. UPS has time off, and Amazon does not. Yet the volume of work is the same. UPS has uniforms that will protect them from the elements. Amazon does not provide you with jackets but requires adherence to their policy of Amazon-branded jackets. The work chats are abusive in nature, with aggressive fear-inducing language, and demoralizing tactics to try to sabotage your self-worth.

In my experience, working at a DSP, you are subject to a large amount of unfair labor practices. Having a structured system that helps disperse power is highly valuable to any Amazon driver. However, it's essential to consider potential drawbacks like union dues and conflicts with management when deciding whether to unionize, as the impact of unionization can vary depending on various factors.

About a week ago, there were flyers handed out to multiple Grand Rapids DSPs with a contact number. Many of us don't make enough money to jeopardize our income by uniting together. One DSP fought back with a flyer, trying to defuse the situation by saying how bad a union is. Filled with false promises of "open door policies".

The strength of the people who drive for Amazon is in our numbers. Together, no matter your race or gender we are all subject to these working conditions. But we are the many, and they are the few.

Let us talk about it, unionization or no unionization? How do non-amazon drivers feel about it? How do we complete this mission? How can we congregate without retaliation?

We must keep our heads, and do this with dignity and respect. All we have is our own representation. Let us put our best foot forward.

I ended up writing bout everyone’s experience from feeling it’s impossible to take breaks (and some taking none) all the way to the news articles of Amazon drivers being shot/being mauled or just found dead. If anyone wants to chime in with what they’d like to express to teamsters before I do contact them back please do. As a driver i understand it’s not going to be easy to unionize or it may not happen due to how the dsp system is, but it really doesn’t hurt to try. I’m personally sick of just complaining and want better working conditions for all of us. Many of us shut each-other down when it comes to unionizing just cause we feel there’s no chance in hell it’ll ever happen, well maybe not but we miss 100% of the shots we don’t take. Obviously dsps will be terminated if notified so maybe keep it anonymous on Reddit and most importantly if you bring it up to people in person, KNOW who you’re talking to not everyone thinks for the work we do that we deserve better conditions. I want only the best so if you’re at risk of losing the only thing keeping money in your pockets I would not risk talking about it in anyway as I know not all of us have the privilege to lose a job and be okay.

So if there’s anything you guys would like to share that would be awesome ^{_^}

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June 24 (Reuters) - The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, a labor union in the United States and Canada, has voted to formalize a resolution to support, fund and supply resources to employees of Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) in their unionization efforts.

What are your thoughts on efforts towards unionizing Amazon?

Let's do it!