: Amazon delivery drivers ratify union contract, but benefits could be short-lived

Dozens of drivers who deliver packages for Amazon.com Inc. AMZN ratified a contract Friday that promises pay raises and safety protections, the Teamsters said. Among other things, the contract will bring wages for the Palmdale, Calif.-based drivers and dispatchers to $30 an hour by September, the union said. But it is unclear how long those new increases and benefits will last. MarketWatch reported earlier this week that the drivers had reached a tentative agreement with their direct employer, Battle Tested Strategies, an Amazon delivery service partner. But Amazon told MarketWatch that the company had terminated Battle Tested Strategies’ contract, although it wouldn’t say when the contract expires. The drivers have continued delivering packages. When asked for comment Friday about Amazon’s contention, a Teamsters spokesperson would only refer to a prepared statement from Randy Korgan, the Teamsters Amazon Division director and Teamsters Joint Council 42 director of organizing: “These workers have been delivering Amazon packages as unionized drivers for a week now.” Battle Tested Strategies has not returned repeated requests for comment. Amazon did not return a request for comment Friday.

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