Drivers March on Boss to Demand Better Pay, Safer Workplace Practices
MERRILLVILLE, Ind., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Amazon Transportation Operations Management (TOM) Team drivers out of the OIL9 Facility in Merrillville, Indiana, have joined Teamsters Local 142, marching on the boss this morning to demand Amazon recognize their union and bargain a union contract.
Amazon TOM Team drivers carry a Commercial Driver's License and transport freight in between Amazon facilities prior to last-mile deliveries. The TOM Team drivers at OIL9 are the first in Indiana to unionize with the Teamsters, joining TOM Team Teamsters from the SDF9 facility in Shepherdsville, Ky. and the MCI9 facility in Liberty, Mo.
"Amazon Teamsters are proud to expand our national footprint and welcome OIL9 TOM Team drivers to our movement. It is never easy being the first group of workers in a state to join a union, but they are displaying the courage and strength it takes to be a Teamster," said Randy Korgan, Director of the Teamsters Amazon Division. "TOM Team drivers play an often unseen, but essential role to Amazon's operations. We will continue to grow our movement so that every Amazon worker gets the dignity and respect they have earned."
Unlike last-mile delivery drivers, who are employed through Amazon's corrupt Delivery Service Partner model, TOM Team drivers are directly employed by Amazon. Drivers at OIL9 are fighting for better pay and workplace safety standards guaranteed through a collective bargaining agreement.
"Amazon expects the highest standards but barely gives us enough to live. We want the recognition we deserve," said Charles Hurd, a TOM Team driver out of OIL9 and new member of Local 142. "Amazon wasn't going to listen to us as individuals, so the only option was to join together as Teamsters. We look forward to winning our first union contract."
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents over 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:
Maura Drumm, (215) 510-3735
[email protected]
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters