Amazon CDL drivers agreed to be represented by Louisville, Kentucky-based Local 89, the first group of tractor-trailer workers in the company to join the Teamsters, according to a news release from the international labor group.
The workers are in Amazon Transportation Operations Management at the SDF9 facility in Shepherdsville, Kentucky, the release said. Shepherdsville is located less than a half hour’s drive south from downtown Louisville.
The Teamsters declined to say how many workers will be affected but did share with Trucking Drive that the average wage there ranges from $24 to $27.50 per hour.
“The workers are looking for pay that’s comparable with other carriers, improved working conditions, and an end to Amazon’s arbitrary rule changes and unrealistic quotes,” a Teamsters spokesperson said.
But Amazon questioned the Teamsters’ portrayal of the situation, adding that the company already provides much of what the Teamsters are requesting, “including competitive pay, health benefits on day one, and opportunities for career growth,” spokesperson Eileen Hards said in a statement.
Amazon says it’s been investing in worker pay for years, adding that workers who stayed with the company for three years saw their pay increase by 35%, Udit Madan, SVP of Amazon worldwide operations, said in a September article.
Based on company feedback, Amazon will also reduce an entry-level health care plan to $5 per week and $5 for copays, starting in 2026, Madan said.
The parcel giant employed nearly 1.56 million part-time and full-time workers as of the end of 2024, according to an annual report that also said successful collective bargaining efforts decrease the company’s operational flexibility, “which could adversely affect our operating efficiency.”
Randy Korgan, director of the Teamsters Amazon division, said in a statement that the move sets a “game-changing precedent for others to follow by opening the door for thousands of other Amazon CDL drivers to join the Teamsters.”
