Thousands of Amazon workers organized into the Teamsters union went on strike at 6 a.m. Thursday after the company “repeatedly refused to comply with the law and negotiate.”

Amazon Teamsters in seven facilities in Skokie, Illinois; New York City, Atlanta, San Francisco and Southern California are participating in the “largest strike” against the trillion-dollar company in American history, the union said in a news release. Employees from other institutions are ready to join them.

Although Teamsters says it represents about 10,000 people at 10 Amazon facilities in the U.S., the company does not recognize workers’ union affiliation.

Amazon says the Teamsters union is “intentionally (mis)leading the public” because it does not represent Amazon employees and drivers, company spokeswoman Kelly Nantel said in a statement to Fox Business.

Amazon workers are planning a strike between Black Friday and Cyber ​​​​Monday

Amazon workers affiliated with the Teamsters union are walking off their jobs at seven plants across the country in a historic strike against the trillion-dollar company. (Nathan Stirk/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“For more than a year, the Teamsters have intentionally misled the public by claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ They are not doing that and this is another attempt to spread a false narrative,” Nantel said. “The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers into joining, which is illegal and the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union.”

Nantel also said the company “does not expect any impact on our operations.”

Amazon warehouse workers and drivers without collective bargaining agreements can legally respect the picket lines by withholding work, the Teamsters union said. (REUTERS/Carlo Allegri / Reuters Photos)

The strike comes after Teamsters said Amazon ignored the union’s Dec. 15 deadline to negotiate new contracts for higher wages, better benefits and safer 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,” Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said in the release.

He continued: “These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who made their obscene profits possible. Instead, they pushed workers to the limit and now they are paying the price. This strike is at their expense.”

TEAMSTERS UNION LAUNCHES NEW DEPARTMENT TO HELP AMAZON WORKERS: “DEFEND WORKERS FROM UNCONTROLLED EXPLOITATION”

At Amazon fulfillment centers across the country, primary picket lines are set up by local unions, Teamsters said, and warehouse workers and drivers without collective bargaining agreements can legally respect them by withholding their labor.

“Amazon is one of the largest and richest companies in the world,” said Gabriel Irizarry, a driver at DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois. “They talk a lot about taking care of their workers, but when it comes down to it, Amazon doesn’t respect us and our right to bargain for better working conditions and wages. We can’t even afford to pay our bills.”

Amazon said team members were already offered competitive pay, immediate health benefits, a 401k match and career development opportunities, adding that the company increased its average base pay to $22 an hour in September.

Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien said Amazon shoppers could blame the company’s “greed” if holiday shopping is affected by the strike, which is scheduled to begin Thursday morning. (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)

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“What we’re doing is historic,” said Leah Pensler, a warehouse worker at DCK6 in San Francisco. “We are fighting a vicious anti-union campaign and we will win.”