DORAVILLE, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A possible Amazon delivery driver strike threatened the timeliness of holiday deliveries in the metro Atlanta area Monday, as a deadline for negotiations came and went the night before.

The retail giant failed to come to the negotiation table Sunday in Atlanta with members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the union representing around 200 Amazon workers in the area.

Things entered a holding pattern recently as unionized Amazon workers around the country discussed and voted on the possibility of a strike over better wages, more consistent hours, safer working conditions, even better winter coats for deliveries.

Any action taking drivers off the road though, could be bad news for shoppers.

“People’s Christmas pretty much depends on Amazon drivers,” said Aaron Nipper, a delivery driver at Amazon’s distribution center in Doraville.

During perhaps the busiest retail time of the entire year, a strike could cripple deliveries through the holiday season.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Amazon delivery drivers in Atlanta could strike ahead of holidays

“100% people will notice the impacts right away,” said Tom Smith, an economics professor with Emory University. “If you click there and you pay an extra amount to have it delivered by the 22nd or 23rd and then there’s a strike, maybe that delivery certainty goes out the window and that’s not going to be happy for many, many people.”

Amazon, which prides itself on rapid delivery — even same day drop off in certain cases — could see its delivery times slope down when people are desperately trying to get last-minute gifts.

“That kind of pressure might be exactly what the union is counting on in order to come to a very quick resolution,” said Smith. “Amazon has a lot to lose, Teamsters have a lot to lose too. Nobody wants to go on strike the week before these big holidays are coming up.”

On Monday, Amazon referred Atlanta News First back to a weekend statement, claiming the Teamsters were participating in unlawful conduct.

“For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public — claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers’. They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative about the independent small businesses who deliver on our behalf,” said Amazon Spokesperson Eileen Hards. “The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated, and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges.”

Smith believes any negotiations between Amazon and its drivers would resolve quickly and says other union strikes this year already have. Teamsters union members working for UPS went on strike, as did members of the International Longshoreman’s Association – with both garnering resolutions in a matter of weeks.

“It’s very contentious until it’s not,” he said. “Then they agree, there’s handshakes everybody says okay, on to the next thing.”

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.