Amazon workers in southwest Fresno join nationwide strike ahead of holiday rush

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Amazon workers connected onslaught coast-to-coast little than a week earlier the Christmas holiday.

Thousands of Amazon workers from Georgia to California were retired connected the picket lines Thursday morning.

That includes employees astatine the Amazon warehouse successful southwest Fresno.

Action News spoke with a pistillate who says she's worked for the institution for six years successful inventory and shipment packing.

"We request to admit that Amazon truly is the bigger occupation enforcing these things connected america that we should beryllium capable to speech astir and combat against and not person to beryllium silenced for," said the woman, who did not privation to beryllium shown connected camera.

She says she supports unionizing due to the fact that of information concerns erstwhile it comes to gathering Amazon's demands.

"It's hard to marque those rates erstwhile you person to perpetually crook down, kneel down and past effort to get up. Overpacked bins besides origin manus injuries astatine times that immoderate of america don't adjacent study due to the fact that they're conscionable small injuries we don't instrumentality into account," said the employee.

Members from the General Teamsters Union Local 431 and president Steve Sharp besides came retired to the Fresno location.

"Right now, our extremity is conscionable to enactment those 9,000 members that are trying to get the institution to the array and evidently fto these folks cognize hey, we're present to assistance you if privation and request that," said Sharp.

The Teamsters acceptable a December 15th deadline for Amazon to statesman negotiating with drivers and warehouse employees implicit wage and moving conditions.

The national says workers are taking enactment due to the fact that they've "had capable of this company's abuse."

But Amazon released a connection saying successful part, quote:

"The information is that they were incapable to get capable enactment from our employees and partners and person brought successful outsiders to travel and harass and intimidate our team, which is inappropriate and dangerous. We admit each our team's large enactment to service their customers and communities, and are continuing to absorption connected getting customers their vacation orders."

Amazon says little than 1% of its employees worldwide are taking portion In the strike, and it besides has an statement with UPS to present packages.

Right now, the duration of the onslaught is unclear.

Members of the section Teamsters Union person said they volition beryllium extracurricular the cardinal Fresno warehouse overnight.

For quality updates, travel Christina Lopez connected Facebook, X and Instagram.