Amazon is insisting that the delivery riders who participated in the first-ever driver strike are not employed by Amazon, but rather employed by Battle-Tested Strategies. Eighty-four delivery riders and dispatchers participated in the strike, saying that they are holding the company accountable for their safety on the job.
(Photo : DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty Images)
Amazon workers from the GMB union, talk to a lorry driver passing a picket line outside the Amazon fulfilment centre in Coventry, central England on March 2, 2023, in a continuation of their industrial action at the depot.
Drivers Delivering for Amazon
As delivery drivers went on strike to protest against Amazon after refusing to bargain a contract with them, Amazon clarified through Vice Motherboard that the drivers who participated are not their employees but rather drivers who deliver for the company. This is a very critical difference as the 84 striking drivers and dispatchers are employed by Battle-Tested Strategies.
Amazon requested the publication to update the headline of the posted story as it provides inaccurate information. The company stated on the request, "Amazon has attempted to legally separate itself from these employees through a sham Delivery Service Partner structure." Amazon believed that they are not obligated to bargain with them as they work for DSP.
The publication used the headline "Amazon Delivery Drivers Walk Out in First-Ever Driver Strike." The strike happened on Thursday in Palmdale, California, which serves Amazon's first. The drivers unionized with the Teamsters in April and were recognized by the DSP Battle-Tested Strategies in May, demanding battery pay and improved safety conditions.
But these drivers have been trying to prove these statements wrong for the past few months, despite Amazon placing all responsibility onto the DSP as they have complete control of the DSP's operations. Unionized driver Raj Singh stated, "We work hard for a multibillion-dollar corporation. We should be able to provide food and clothes for our kids."
Having Complete Control of DSP's Operations
Although Amazon declined that these drivers are their employees, The Verge reported that the company uses contractor labor for the majority of its fleet and exercises a lot of control over these people it "doesn't technically employ." These drivers wear Amazon clothes and drive Amazon trucks.
The company has also controlled what its drivers are allowed to post and look at online, exercise control over when drivers can return if conditions are safe, and forced drivers to accept AI-powered surveillance to be hired.
Also Read: Amazon Employees Walkout Over Company's Climate Impact, Return-To-Office Policy
This level of control was part of the union filed with the National Labor Relations Board, calling out the company. These conditions are described in the complaint as not uncommon in the delivery world, hence why it is needed to be changed.
The complaint stated, "Under this DSP structure, Amazon finds individuals-often with little to no experience running businesses-and purports to help those individuals "start" businesses, all while selling them a false fantasy." Additionally, Battle Tested Strategies also operates from the same Amazon facility, DAX8, as three other captive DSPs.
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