Everything you need to know about the Amazon strike in Michigan

Amid the holiday shopping season, thousands of Amazon workers joined the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union in launching a nationwide strike on Thursday.

While Amazon says its holiday shopping season will continue as usual, the Teamsters are calling it “the largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history.”

The union is pushing for recognition and contract negotiations by threatening to halt operations during the busy holiday season.

Here’s what you should know.

What is Amazon?

Amazon is an online retail company headquartered in Seattle.

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Who went on strike?

The Teamsters union, which represents nearly 10,000 Amazon workers, has launched the nationwide strike, the union said in a statement. That represents about 1% of Amazon’s hourly workforce, Reuters reported.

When did the strike start?

The strike began at 6 a.m. Thursday morning, the union said.

Where are Amazon workers striking?

Amazon workers from the Teamsters union went on strike at seven facilities in Atlanta, New York City, San Francisco, Skokie, Illinois and Southern California. Local Teamsters unions are also planning primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon fulfillment centers across the country, the union said.

Why are the workers striking?

Workers began the strike Thursday when the Teamsters accused Amazon of failing to come to the bargaining table to negotiate contracts by ignoring a Dec. 15 deadline set by the union, the union said.

The Teamsters are pushing for union recognition and a new contract with better wages and working conditions.

“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We have given Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do the right thing for our members. They ignored it,” said Teamsters general president Sean M. O’Brien. “These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they pushed workers to the limit and now they are paying the price. This strike is at their expense.”

What does Amazon say about the strike?

Amazon says the strike is not expected to slow operations during the holiday season.

The Seattle-based online retailer repeatedly refused to recognize the union and even filed an objection with the National Labor Relations Board, Reuters reported. In an earlier statement to USA TODAY, an Amazon spokesperson said the strike was not a legitimate representation of its workers.

Many of the workers involved in the walkout are drivers, who Amazon says are not its employees but rather work for a third-party company.

“For more than a year, the Teamsters have intentionally misled the public by claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers,'” Eileen Hands, a spokeswoman for the company, said in the statement. “They are not doing that and this is another attempt to spread a false narrative.”

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In a statement to Reuters, Amazon spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said the Teamsters “attempted to illegally force workers to join the union.”

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