Amazon hired at least two union-busting consulting firms specifically to prevent its drivers from joining the International Brotherhood of Teamsters over the course of 2022, according to six reports filed to the Department of Labor and obtained by Motherboard. This is notable because Amazon claims that the drivers who deliver its packages are not its employees. 

Motherboard reviewed five reports filed to the Department of Labor, which showed that Amazon spent more than $14.2 million total on anti-union consulting in 2022. Of that, $160,595 went to Optimal Employee Relations and Action Resources, who, on their own reports, specifically referred to “drivers” as the target group of their persuasion. Amazon and the contractors it hired are required to file these reports with the government each year.

Amazon’s filing references nine contractors hired throughout 2022. Both Optimal Employee Relations and Action Resources say that one of the people “through whom activities were performed” was Fernando Rivera, who filed a report of their own. Rivera’s report again identifies “drivers” as the target group. It also cites “teamsters” as the union in question. 

A third contractor referenced in Amazon’s filing, Government Resources Consultants of America, said that it had been hired to persuade “various employees across the U.S. as may be requested from time to time,” and did not specify a union. However, the filing refers to another consulting group, known as D&G Consulting, whose report filed in May names “Amazon DSP Drivers” as the target group, and “Teamsters” as the union. 

These filings are particularly notable because they show, specifically, that Amazon is trying to squash unions among the delivery drivers that it repeatedly stresses are employees of third-party companies, not Amazon itself. The Teamsters have argued that Amazon is in fact a joint employer of the drivers, and is using its contractor status as a way to evade responsibility. 

“Amazon has a level of responsibility that they’re trying to escape here,” said Randy Korgan, the director of the Teamsters’ Amazon Division, whose goal is to organize the company. “If the subcontractor is its own entity, and the subcontractor employs these drivers, then what is their interest in making sure that there are anti-union consultants meeting with drivers for a company that they don’t have any control over?” 

“It clearly identifies the amount of control that Amazon is exerting over these subcontractors, number one,” he continued. “Number two, it shows that they have a vested interest because [the drivers] are employees of some sort. When you look at these filings, how can you say they’re not your drivers?”

“They just proved they’re an employer,” said Seth Goldstein, a lawyer at Julien, Mirer, Singla and Goldstein, who has represented Amazon warehouse workers unionizing with the Amazon Labor Union. “Why would they be involved in this, if they’re fearing that the [National Labor Relations] Board