On the picket line

Amazon drivers demand fair treatment

Amazon Drivers in Nashville, Tennessee, have been on strike since March 16 and are refusing to deliver packages. The “flex drivers” are Amazon employees and are organized as the Amazon Drivers Union. They are demanding Amazon treat them more fairly.

The amount of packages drivers are expected to deliver has increased, but wages have stagnated. Drivers are assigned routes that may require driving hours from their home; they then have to return home at their expense once the route is finished. When drivers accept a route, they want to be informed how far away it is.

Other strike demands involve better working conditions and safety standards. Latiné workers told Nashville station WKRN they are striking in response to racism and xenophobia at the workplace. Drivers are also demanding that management and security teams at the fulfillment centers treat them with respect.

Colorado meatpackers strike

In a historic development, the 3,800 members of United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 7 have been on strike since March 16 at the Greeley, Colorado, beef processing plant of Swift & Co., a subsidiary of JBS USA. This is the first strike by meatpacking workers in 40 years. The union, which says this is a strike against Unfair Labor Practices, is calling on the company to negotiate in good faith.

Meatpackers launch strike against JBS USA, March 16, 2026. Photo: UFCW Local 7.

Many of the meatpackers died during the COVID-19 crisis because they were forced to work without protection as “essential workers.” The work is very dangerous, the pay is low and workers have to pay for their protective equipment out of pocket. They must work fast in wet, slippery conditions while working with sharp knife blades. One mistake can be deadly.

Workers are demanding a wage adjusted for inflation and improved safety conditions from JBS USA, the largest meat processing company in the world. Bloomberg reported that “the strike comes as the meatpacking industry is facing a severe cattle shortage after ranchers shrunk their herds due to high production costs and droughts. The U.S. herd at the smallest level in decades has sent prices soaring, with beef becoming an affordability issue in an election year as one of the biggest drivers of food inflation every month.” (March 16)

The striking meatpackers, most of whom are immigrants, are withholding their labor power to demand the bosses not push any losses due to current market conditions onto the workers.

Union solidarity with striking Steelworkers 

United Steelworkers Union Local 3057 has been on the picket line outside the ArcelorMittal plant in Shelby, Ohio, since Jan. 13 over contract issues. The strike by the 450 workers is the longest in the local’s history. The union is demanding better health coverage and is opposing the company’s proposed work schedule changes.

In a show of solidarity, union leaders across Ohio held a march and rally on March 13. Union members and supporters marched from the Local 3057 hall to the ArcelorMittal picket line. Norm Shoemaker, president of Local 3057 and Mid-Ohio AFL-CIO, thanked everyone for coming out, saying: “It’s not about money. This is about your insurance and work schedules.” (Richland Source, March 13)