A group of Amazon tractor-trailer drivers recently voted to join the Teamsters, making them the first such drivers to join the union.
A statement from the Teamsters said, "Amazon CDL drivers at the SDF9 facility in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, have become the first group of Amazon semi-truck and tractor-trailer drivers nationwide to join the Teamsters. The Amazon Transportation Operations Management (TOM) Team drivers chose representation by Teamsters Local 89."
The drivers, who transport freight across Amazon properties and facilities, are seeking industry-standard pay, improved working conditions, and an end to "Amazon's pattern of instituting arbitrary new policies," according to a statement from the union.
The Kentucky drivers join nearly 10,000 Amazon workers across five states who have organized with the Teamsters, according to the union.
"We're joining the Teamsters to protect our rights and fight for a better future for ourselves, our families, and every Amazon TOM Team member," said Jeffrey King, a TOM Team driver at SDF9. "It doesn't matter if you're in a warehouse or driving a truck, Amazon treats all its workers as disposable. We are ready to take this fight across the country and make Amazon understand the strength of worker power."
