A decision by the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday marked “the beginning of the end for Amazon’s favorite legal loophole,” said one grassroots labor group, as the board ruled that Amazon is a joint employer of its drivers — making it legally required to recognize and bargain with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters union that represents dozens of the delivery workers.
The NLRB concluded its investigation that began more than a year ago, when 84 Amazon workers at the company’s Palmdale, California warehouse joined the Teamsters Local 396 union, negotiating a contract with Amazon’s Delivery Service Partner (DSP), a subcontractor which Amazon claimed was the drivers’ employer.
“Despite wielding absolute control over the drivers’ terms and conditions of employment,” said the Teamsters in a statement on Thursday,........