Amazon has agreed not to retaliate against employees who participate in strikes, restoring unpaid time off as part of a settlement with federal labor officials. The company will return hours that were previously docked from workers who walked off the job and ensure that employees can strike in the future without losing their unpaid time off, according to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. More than 100 workers are expected to have their time restored under the National Labor Relations Board settlement.
Amazon said it did not admit any wrongdoing as part of the agreement but emphasized that it took action to resolve the matter and continue working with employees. The company provides frontline workers with a limited number of unpaid leave hours, which can be used for emergencies or last-minute issues, though exceeding the allotted hours could result in disciplinary action. The NLRB cited cases dating back to 2022 in which Amazon deducted time from workers who participated in strikes, sometimes causing employees’ balances to go negative and raising concerns about potential job loss.
The Teamsters have long sought to organize Amazon warehouse and delivery workers, creating a dedicated Amazon division in 2021 to support unionization efforts. While Amazon employees have attempted to unionize for over a decade, only a Staten Island warehouse and a Philadelphia Whole Foods store have successfully held union drives. The December 2024 strike involved workers at seven U.S. delivery hubs, with the union claiming it represents nearly 10,000 Amazon employees, though the company disputes that number.
The settlement prohibits Amazon from terminating or discriminating against employees for participating in strikes or exceeding their unpaid time off balance. As part of the agreement, the company will post notices at all 1,300 Amazon facilities nationwide to inform workers of their rights to organize and the terms of the settlement.
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