Amazon insists that striking delivery drivers don’t actually work for Amazon

on Thursday, motherboard informed of That Amazon Delivery Driver in Palmdale, California have gone on strike, a first for the company. driver who Union with the Teamsters Battle-tested strategies in April and in May recognized by Amazon “delivery service partners” (DSPs), demanding better pay and better safety conditions. They moved out on Thursday.

motherboardThe original article used the headline “Amazon delivery drivers walk out in first-ever driver strike”. Later, a representative from Amazon emailed the publication to ask that it change its title. From motherboardarticle of,

“I’m writing to ask if you would be willing to update the title of the story you just posted,” the spokesperson wrote. “It reads these drivers are ‘Amazon drivers’ and that is incorrect as they are employed by battle-tested strategies. Would you mind updating the headline to read ‘Drivers making deliveries for Amazon’?”

But Amazon, which uses contractor labor for most of its fleet, has a lot of control over these people, it doesn’t. technically employment. Beyond the fact that they wear Amazon clothing and usually drive delivery trucks wrapped in Amazon artwork, the company tightly controls what its drivers are allowed to look like and post online. that when drivers can turn back if conditions are unsafe, and force drivers to accept hiring AI monitoring.

Although these drivers wear Amazon uniforms, drive Amazon trucks, identify themselves as Amazon employees, are constantly monitored and surveyed by Amazon managers, and receive their work assignments from Amazon, Amazon has Has attempted to differentiate itself from the legal “Distribution Service” Partner” (“DSP”) structure. Under this DSP structure, Amazon finds individuals—who have little or no experience running a business—to And to help those individuals start a “business”, all while selling a false fantasy.

The complaint also states that Amazon provides branded trucks and uniforms, sets goals and terms, unilaterally terminates employees, and more. According to the document, Battle Tested Strategies also operates from the same Amazon facility, DAX8, as three other “similarly captive” DSPs.

The document also describes the conditions the drivers will face, including driving without air conditioning in “inhuman heat” in the desert, where temperatures can reach 118 degrees Fahrenheit. Inside the van, the drivers are talking motherboard The internal 130-plus-degree temperature is described as feeling “like walking into an oven.”

Such situations are not uncommon in the world of delivery. In fact, last week, representing more than 340,000 drivers, Teamsters made a tentative deal To install the air conditioner — air conditioner! – In all small package delivery vehicles owned by UPS.

We’ve reached out to the Teamsters Union and Amazon, and will update if we receive a response.