Prosecutors at a federal labor agency have determined that Amazon is a joint employer of subcontracted drivers who delivered packages for the company in California, pushing back on claims from the online retailer that they are not its employees.
The decision, made by a regional director for the National Labor Relations Board in Los Angeles, came after the agency investigated unfair labor practice charges filed against the company by the Teamsters union.
The prominent labor group represents UPS drivers and has been seeking to unionize Amazon drivers. However, it has encountered challenges, most notably because the company doesn’t directly employ drivers but relies on thousands of third-party businesses that deliver millions of customer packages every day.
Currently, over 275,000 drivers are employed with these businesses, which are called Delivery Service Partners, or DSPs.
The Teamstersand other labor advocates have long said Amazon exercises great control over the drivers – including by determining their routes, setting delivery targets and monitoring their performances – and should be classified …