Amazon Union Fight

How in the world can Jeff Bezos possibly pay all of his workers a livable wage???

By: Austin Abbring

June 24, 2026

Amazon is currently battling labor coalitions in San Francisco as the company continues to attempt to bust unionization efforts across the country. A National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) judge ordered Amazon to bargain with the Teamsters union at the DCK6 delivery center. Amazon workers at this location are currently pushing their unionization effort to attain higher wages, improved workplace safety, more comprehensive healthcare benefits, and to end performance quotas. 

The NLRB judge cited the Cemex ruling, which requires companies to bargain if a majority of workers sign union cards. Amazon is currently challenging this ruling, which was issued under the Biden administration. Despite some of my disagreements with Biden, his administration was pretty solid on union protections and strengthening the National Labor Relations Board. The Cemex ruling, in particular, was a significant decision as it heavily penalizes union-busting and made it much easier for employees to collectively bargain.

Amazon continues to struggle nationwide to prevent unions from popping up in its warehouses and among its drivers. The company has spent millions of dollars on union-busting consultants and legal battles with the NLRB. Even Amazon subsidiaries, such as Whole Foods, have faced unionization efforts by their employees. 

A few key facts on the discrepancies of wages vs Amazon’s profitability:

• Amazon reported $716.9 billion in global revenue in fiscal 2025.

• The company's net income was around $78 billion.

• Only $1.2 billion paid in federal income taxes

• Jeff Bezos’ net worth has increased by over $100 billion since 2020

• In 2026 alone, Bezos increased his net worth by $3.6 billion

• The average operations and fulfillment employee makes $48,000 a year

• Amazon workers' annual step plan only grows by 2-4% per year, while the corporate growth is around 13% per year

• Average Amazon driver pay: $18-$25 per hour

• Average UPS driver starting pay: $23 per hour, but sees peaks around $46 per hour through its union

This Amazon anti-unionization effort is precisely why we desperately need tax restructuring in this country. We must return to the era of great compression tax rates, and also see an increase in corporate tax rates. We need both: for corporations and large companies to pay a much larger share of tax revenue, which can help expand social insurance programs for the low income and working class, and also tax credits for companies that reinvest their revenue into infrastructure, increased workplace safety, expanded hiring, and higher wages for employees. What we have currently is not working. We are heading down a dangerous path beyond oligarchy or plutocracy. We are staring kleptocracy right in the face as the wealthiest individuals in America are robbing our coffers while their wealth increases by exorbitant amounts.