Amazon Drivers Unionize for Better Wages and Job Security in Torrance

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Amazon Drivers Push for Union Recognition Amid Profit Surge

(TORRANCE, Calif.) – In a significant move, more than 500 drivers working at Amazon's DCX7 and DDO6 locations in Torrance, California, have decided to affiliate with Teamsters Local 396. They are requesting formal recognition from Amazon and are looking to begin negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement.

This morning, drivers at the two facilities approached management to press their demands. They aim to address issues such as Amazon's demanding work quotas, wage hikes, securing full-time work hours, and ensuring job stability. Despite Amazon's profits soaring by over 30 percent this year, the corporation has only offered a modest $1 hourly increase to some employees.

“The Amazon Teamsters movement continues to grow in Southern California because workers are tired of earning poverty wages while Amazon rakes in billions off their backs,” expressed Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. “When you make $15 to $20 below industry standard for similar work, $1 an hour is pretty insulting to those that do this hard work every day. The drivers at DCX7 and DDO6 are displaying tremendous courage by joining the fight to unionize America’s worst employer. We could not be happier to welcome them to this movement.”

Joining the ranks of over 10,000 Amazon employees across 16 facilities, these drivers are part of a larger movement to enhance employment standards at the e-commerce behemoth by uniting under the Teamsters Union banner.

Voicing their grievances, Morgan Miller, a driver at the DCX7 site, remarked, “We bring our best every day to make Amazon’s profits, and we deserve to be treated with the respect we take into work. Amazon is one of the richest companies on the planet. We are joining the Teamsters because it is the only way for us to fight for basic protections and improvements from Amazon.”

Kevin Olea-Martinez, operating at the DDO6 facility, highlighted the challenges of living in a high-cost area, saying, “Southern California has some of the highest cost of living in the country. I have to work three jobs to make ends meet. I’m joining the Teamsters because Amazon will not give us dignity or respect willingly, so it is up to us to take it from them.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, established in 1903, represents over 1.3 million workers across the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. For further details, visit Teamster.org. Stay connected with updates on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

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