Judge Rules Amazon Illegally Enforced Attendance Policy, Orders Company Restore Workers’ Hours
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Amazon Teamsters won a landmark victory against Amazon’s anti-worker policies, with a judge ruling on Wednesday that the company illegally enforced its Unpaid Time Off (UPT) attendance policy to penalize workers participating in legally protected walkouts and strikes.
According to the ruling, Amazon routinely restores UPT for non-strike-related absences while refusing to do so for workers protesting its exploitative conditions — a clear violation of federal labor law. The National Labor Relations Board administrative law judge (ALJ) ordered Amazon to restore all UPT hours wrongfully deducted from striking workers and rescind related disciplinary actions.
“Amazon weaponizes its attendance system to try and scare workers from taking collective action, but this company will fail every time. This ruling sends a clear message: Amazon workers have every right to walk off the job to demand better pay, safer conditions, and a union contract, and they will keep fighting,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien.
The ruling found that Amazon’s selective enforcement of its UPT policy violated the National Labor Relations Act. The judge’s decision sends the message loud and clear that Amazon’s illegal enforcement of its UPT policy must stop, that workers have the absolute right to strike free of punishment, and that Amazon must honor that right at all its facilities nationwide.
The ruling consolidates multiple cases involving workers at Amazon facilities across the U.S. Amazon is ordered to restore deducted UPT hours, rescind attendance points issued for strikes, and formally notify employees that strike-related UPT deductions will no longer be tolerated and must be restored.
“This is a decisive victory for my co-workers in San Bernardino and all workers across the country who continue to use our legal right to strike despite Amazon’s unlawful retaliation,” said Maggie Perez, a warehouse worker at KSBD. “As workers, we have followed the law in our fight for better conditions, and Amazon must do the same.”
The ruling comes amid a surge in Amazon workers organizing with the Teamsters Union. In December 2024, Amazon Teamsters from coast to coast led a historic strike to demand contract negotiations and an end to retaliation. The judge’s ruling on Amazon’s UPT policy deals another blow to the company’s union-busting playbook. With worker power rising, Amazon faces mounting pressure to respect workers’ rights in court and on the picket line.
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.
Contact:
Kara Deniz, (202) 497-6610
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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters
