SF workers join 'largest strike' against Amazon amid busy holiday shipping season

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Teamsters union said workers will begin striking at Amazon facilities across the country Thursday morning, including in San Francisco.

The union is calling it the largest strike against the online shopping giant less than a week before Christmas.

The Teamsters said the strike will begin early Thursday at 6 a.m. at several facilities. Along with San Francisco, facilities include New York City, Atlanta, three locations in Southern California, and one in Skokie, Illinois.

The strike will impact a facility at 749 Toland Street in San Francisco.

In addition, the Teamsters said local unions would also put up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.

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In a news release, the union calls it the "largest strike against Amazon in U.S. history" and says it comes after Amazon has refused to bargain with workers organized with the Teamsters.

"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien in a statement. "We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it."

In a statement to ABC News, an Amazon spokesperson made the claim that most of the strikers are not Amazon employees.

"What you see here are almost entirely outsiders-not Amazon employees or partners-and the suggestion otherwise is just another lie from the Teamsters. The truth is that they were unable to get enough support from our employees and partners and have brought in outsiders to come and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous. We appreciate all our team's great work to serve their customers and communities, and are continuing to focus on getting customers their holiday orders."

Amazon had a previous statement on Wednesday saying the Teamsters have illegally coerced workers to join the union.

"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. 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 against the union."

The spokesperson said the company has increased the starting minimum wage for workers in fulfillment centers and transportation employees by 20% and in September increased average base wage to $22 per hour.

The announced strike by the Teamsters comes after workers at several Amazon facilities authorized the walkout.

The Teamsters said nearly 10,000 Amazon workers across the country have joined the union.

The facility in New York City's Staten Island was Amazon's first-ever unionized warehouse. Workers there have said the company has refused to recognize the union and negotiate a contract after workers there voted to unionize in 2022.

The National Labor Relations Board officially certified the union representing workers at the facility, but Amazon has appealed that ruling.

ABC7 News contributed to this report.