Amazon Drivers in Providence Unionize with Teamsters After Labor Day

The Facts -

Amazon Drivers in Providence Make Bold Move to Unionize with Teamsters

(PROVIDENCE, R.I.) – In a significant move, Amazon delivery drivers at the DRI1 facility in Providence have declared their unionization with Teamsters Local 251, seeking to initiate negotiations for a collective bargaining agreement.

Operating from Amazon's largest last-mile facility in Rhode Island, these drivers are pioneering their union effort with the Teamsters in the state. This follows a series of successful actions by the Teamsters, including the endorsement and passing of the Rhode Island Warehouse Worker Protection Act.

“Amazon workers across the country are fed up with this company’s greed and neglect. The drivers at DRI1 are taking a brave step to become the first in Rhode Island to take on Amazon,” stated Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. “There is no Amazon facility too big or small for workers to join the fight. Wherever Amazon workers demand fair pay and safer jobs, the Teamsters will be there to hold this $3 trillion company accountable.”

Matt Taibi, Secretary-Treasurer of Local 251 and Teamsters Eastern Region Vice President, echoed the sentiment, remarking, “DRI1 delivery drivers are putting their feet down and joining the most important organizing effort in America today. We couldn’t be prouder to have these courageous men and women join the Teamsters family. They will show the world what it means to be Teamsters.”

These new Amazon Teamsters are advocating for improved wages, health care benefits, and safety measures at the critical Rhode Island facility. They join a growing movement of over 10,000 workers across more than a dozen facilities nationwide who have organized under the Teamsters banner.

Fred German, one of the Amazon drivers from the DRI1 facility and now part of Local 251, expressed frustration with the company's treatment: “We work for one of the richest companies on the planet, but they won’t give us a livable wage, they ignore our safety concerns, and then say we don’t even work for them. We have had enough. We are proud to join the Teamsters and Amazon workers across the country demanding we get treated with the respect every human being deserves.”

Established in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 1.3 million members in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For more details, visit Teamster.org, or follow on X at @Teamsters and Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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