Amazon faces complaint from NLRB amid battle with Teamsters

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint against Amazon, accusing it of refusing to negotiate with Teamsters representing drivers in California employed by a contractor to the shipping and shopping giant.

The e-commerce company is now required to respond to the complaint by Oct. 15 with an NLRB hearing scheduled for March 25, 2025, before an NLRB administrative law judge.

In the complaint, NLRB argues that Amazon is a “joint employer” of the delivery drivers represented by Teamsters Local 396 in Palmdale, Calif. These drivers are employed by a company called Battle Tested Strategies (BTS), which is the contractor in the complaint. They were the first drivers under Amazon to vote to unionize last year.

Teamsters President Sean O’Brien reacted to the news by saying it brought the labor organization one step closer to getting Amazon to the negotiating table.

“Amazon wants to reap the benefits of drivers’ labor without having to take on any of the responsibility for their wellbeing—and those days are over,” O’Brien said in a release.

The complaint, issued Monday, said Amazon terminated its contract with BTS after the drivers voted to unionize without first seeking to bargain with the Teamsters. Amazon said NLRB dismissed the retaliation claim citing the company’s decision to terminate BTS before Teamsters demanded recognition.

“This complaint makes clear that the Teamsters have been misrepresenting the facts here for over 15 months, which is why the NLRB has not included most of their larger allegations,” said  Eileen Hards, Amazon Spokesperson. “As we’ve said all along, there is no merit to any of their claims. We look forward to showing that as the legal process continues and expect the few remaining allegations will be dismissed as well.”

The NLRB also alleges that Amazon threatened employees with job loss while holding unlawful captive audience meetings and intimidated employees with security guards in addition to other illegal retaliation against the group of newly unionized workers.

Amazon has filed claims against the board in New York arguing that its structure violates the U.S. Constitution. The company has filed a federal lawsuit against the entity with Starbucks, SpaceX and Trader Joe’s, which are also facing complaints.

The NLRB was temporarily blocked Monday from ruling on whether Amazon must bargain with a union representing workers at a New York City warehouse by a federal appeals court, according to reports from Reuters.

Updated at 8:04 p.m. EDT