
Lewit Gemeda is a student at Harvard Law School.
In today’s News and Commentary, a group of Amazon delivery drivers and dispatchers working for a Palmdale, California contractor become the first group of Amazon drivers to unionize, and striking Canadian federal government workers seem to be approaching a resolution with the government.
Last week, 84 drivers and dispatchers at Battle Tested Strategies—an Amazon contractor—entered a contract with the Teamsters, which the employer voluntarily recognized. The contract includes an immediate raise to wages, a schedule for meaningful future raises, and provisions that address vehicle conditions and heat exposure issues. The drivers, while not direct Amazon employees, wear Amazon branded vests, drive Amazon branded vans, and only deliver Amazon packages. The workers informed Amazon of their new union on Monday and asked that it comply with the terms of the contract. The contract may require Amazon to change how it deals with wage floors, selects delivery routes and schedules, and the termination powers it retains. Amazon has responded to the news about the union by emphasizing that 1) these employees are not Amazon employees, and 2) that it had previously terminated Battle Tested Strategies’ contract due to poor performance. Eileen Hards, an Amazon spokesperson, made the following statement: “Whether the Teamsters are being intentionally misleading or they just don’t understand our business, the narrative they’re spreading is false… This particular third party company had a track record of failing to perform and had been notified of its termination for poor performance well before today’s announcement.”
Next, a strike by 155 Canadian federal workers may be coming to a close soon. On Sunday, the union made the statement that progress has been made on remote work allowances and on wage increases for the Treasury Board employees. Currently, the strike is scheduling to continue while negotiations over a deal for workers at Canada’s revenue agency continue. The strike has affected a wide range of public services such as tax return processing and passport renewals. The revenue agency employees want a 22.5% pay raise over three years, while Treasury Board workers are looking for a 13.5% raise over three years. The government has offered each group a 9% raise.
Daily News & Commentary
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June 20
Three state bills challenge Garmon preemption; Wisconsin passes a bill establishing portable benefits for gig workers; and a sharp increase in workplace ICE raids contribute to a nationwide labor shortage.
June 19
Report finds retaliatory action by UAW President; Senators question Trump's EEOC pick; California considers new bill to address federal labor law failures.
June 18
Companies dispute NLRB regional directors' authority to make rulings while the Board lacks a quorum; the Department of Justice loses 4,500 employees to the Trump Administration's buyout offers; and a judge dismisses Columbia faculty's lawsuit over the institution's funding cuts.
June 17
NLRB finds a reporter's online criticism of the Washington Post was not protected activity under federal labor law; top union leaders leave the Democratic National Committee amid internal strife; Uber reaches a labor peace agreement with Chicago drivers.
June 16
California considers bill requiring human operators inside autonomous delivery vehicles; Eighth Circuit considers challenge to Minnesota misclassification law and whether "having a family to support" is a gendered comment.
June 15
ICE holds back on some work site raids as unions mobilize; a Maryland judge approves a $400M settlement for poultry processing workers in an antitrust case; and an OMB directive pushes federal agencies to use union PLAs.