Amazon Teamsters, drivers, and elected officials rallied in front of the company’s DBK4 warehouse in Maspeth on Wednesday, Oct. 16, to address key concerns affecting workers at the massive facility.
DBK4 drivers recently joined the Teamsters union, but Amazon has yet to formally recognize their union or begin negotiations for a contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
At 9 a.m., the large group gathered outside the warehouse, with Teamsters members, drivers, and elected officials expressing their frustration with Amazon. Passing sanitation trucks, trailers, and delivery vans honked in support, signaling solidarity from fellow workers who share similar experiences.
Drivers at the rally demand better pay, safer working conditions, and consistent schedules from the e-commerce giant.
State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris praised the rallying workers and delivered a defiant speech.
“Here we are, standing in front of an Amazon facility in Queens. You would think they would have learned their lesson since the last time we kicked their asses, but apparently, they want a rematch,” said Gianaris. “So we’ll give them one!”
He continued, “The last thing that we are going to let happen is the abuse of workers in Queens that work for this company. They’re already up to their old tricks of retaliating and firing people, doing all the things that bad employers do when they don’t want to recognize the rights of their workers. We will not let them get away with it, not on our turf or our home ground.”
Gianaris praised the workers’ courage, adding, “It takes a lot to stand up to the biggest company on Earth, but these men and women are doing it, and we are going to stand by them every step of the way.”
The rally’s momentum grew with each speaker. Gianaris introduced U.S. Representative Grace Meng, who voiced her support for the workers’ demands.
“We are just asking that they respect their own workers and protect their quality of life and working conditions,” Meng said.
She expressed gratitude to the current administration, stating, “We are grateful to President Biden and Vice President Harris for being the most pro-union administration in history.”
Meng concluded by thanking those in attendance and saying, “We have got your backs.”
State Senate Labor Chair Jessica Ramos also delivered a powerful speech, taking aim at Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
“Imagine being the most profitable corporation in the history of the world and then looking your workers in the eyes and saying ‘no, we won’t give you a raise.’ Saying ‘no, we won’t give you work cost benefits.’ Saying ‘no, we’re not going to keep you safe,’” Ramos exclaimed. “We’re going to continue to run high-tech sweatshops in front of everybody’s eyes here in Queens and around the five boroughs at a time when our city is getting more and more expensive for New Yorkers every day.”
Ramos criticized Amazon’s tactics, adding, “Jeff Bezos would rather spend millions of dollars on law firms and union-busting tactics, firing workers, covering their burns with baby powder, and sending them back into warehouses that were designed for boxes and not for people.”
Other elected officials at the rally include Senator John Liu and Assembly Members Steven Raga, Jessica Gonzalez-Rojas, Zohran Mamdani and Council Member Sandra Ung.
Drivers also spoke out, sharing firsthand accounts of the conditions they face. Latrice Shadae Johnson, a driver, stood alongside her young daughter and shared how she teaches her daughter to fight for justice.
“Every day I wake up in the morning and I look at her. I teach her always to stand up and to fight for what’s not right,” Johnson said. “I don’t care where you’re at. If it’s at the playground, you could be in school or anywhere. Always stand up and speak about what isn’t right.”
She voiced her frustration with Amazon, adding, “Holidays, we’ve got to come to work. I go out on the road, and I do my routes, and the customers compliment me. They tell me I’m a great person, they love Amazon, and I’m just wondering why Amazon doesn’t feel that way about us. We need to be respected for what we do.”
Her daughter chimed in, “Always speak up and never be afraid,” amplifying her mother’s message.
Another worker, Brendan R., led chants of “What’s disgusting? Union busting! What’s outrageous? Poverty wages!” as the crowd’s energy continued to build.
“We’ve got some outrageous and disgusting things going on in this building right now, but we’re not taking it anymore,” Brendan declared. “I’ve been working here for years, I’ve seen so many people come and go, and it’s not because of us. It’s because of them.”
Brendan called out Amazon’s anti-union efforts, saying, “They send in union busters, but they didn’t know that we’re union buster-busters! The Teamsters are union buster-busters!”
The rally ended with a firm message: the fight will continue until Amazon listens to its workers and meets their demands.
