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CPS considera mantener abiertas 7 escuelas chárter Acero otro año y luego hacerse cargo de 5 de ellas

Jane Wells
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CPS considera mantener abiertas 7 escuelas chárter Acero otro año y luego hacerse cargo de 5 de ellas

El mejor lugar para cobertura de noticias y cultura latina en Chicago. | The place for coverage of Latino news and culture in Chicago.

Después de semanas de protestas de las familias y el personal contra el cierre propuesto de siete escuelas chárter Acero, la Junta de Educación de Chicago está tomando medidas para mantenerlas abiertas durante un año escolar más y luego hacerse cargo de cinco de los campus en 2026.

La junta también tomó la medida extraordinaria de amenazar con no renovar el contrato de Acero para operar el resto de sus escuelas.

La junta escolar programó una reunión especial para el viernes para aprobar una resolución que ordene a los funcionarios de las Escuelas Públicas de Chicago (CPS, por sus siglas en inglés) que sigan adelante con el plan, que podría incluir el pago de una pequeña cantidad de dinero adicional a la red de escuelas chárter financiadas con fondos públicos y administradas de forma privada para cubrir un déficit operativo el próximo año.

Los líderes de CPS plantearon por primera vez esta idea entre varias opciones en la reunión mensual de la junta la semana pasada para evitar el cierre de las siete escuelas. Otras incluían que el distrito escolar se hiciera cargo de las operaciones de las siete escuelas, dejar que todas cierren o proporcionar más fondos para mantener abiertas las siete escuelas durante al menos dos años más.

El plan híbrido que les daría a las siete escuelas más tiempo antes de cerrar solo dos de ellas resultó ser la opción más asequible, dijeron los funcionarios de CPS.

La junta escolar ordenó a CPS que llegara a un acuerdo con Acero “para cubrir el déficit para operar los siete campus para el año escolar 2025-26” mientras consideraba “ahorros operativos, otros ingresos potenciales y las reservas no gastadas de Acero”.

Un análisis de WBEZ y Chicago Sun-Times del mes pasado encontró que si bien Acero se ha visto afectada por la disminución de inscripciones y el aumento de los costos de los maestros, la organización tiene decenas de millones de dólares en efectivo, lo que plantea dudas sobre si necesitaba cerrar siete de sus 15 escuelas.

Según el plan de la Junta de Educación, las dos escuelas que cerrarían después del año escolar 2025-26 serían el campus de Acero Paz en La Villita, una escuela primaria de 98 estudiantes, y Acero Cruz, una escuela K-12 en Rogers Park con 542 niños.

Los funcionarios de CPS dijeron que esas dos escuelas son las principales contribuyentes al déficit financiero proyectado de Acero, que predijeron que podría desaparecer por completo si cerraran. Pero la junta dejó abierta la posibilidad de que Paz y Cruz pudieran ser consideradas para la toma de control por CPS en 2026.

Las otras cinco escuelas Acero —los campus Cisneros, Casas, Fuentes, Tamayo y Santiago—pasarían automáticamente a ser escuelas administradas por el distrito en el año escolar 2026-27.

“Estos planes deben incluir el apoyo del distrito a los padres y al personal para maximizar la retención de maestros, personal y estudiantes a medida que estas escuelas hacen la transición”, se lee en la resolución de la junta.

La junta dijo que los funcionarios de Acero deben cumplir con estos esfuerzos.

“Los cierres anunciados por Acero son incompatibles con la misión educativa de la junta y ponen en duda si la junta debería renovar el acuerdo de la escuela autónoma de Acero en 2026”, decía la resolución. “La cooperación de Acero en estos asuntos puede considerarse para decidir si se renueva” el contrato con el operador de las chárters por otro período.

No está claro si los funcionarios de Acero estarían de acuerdo con alguno de estos planes. CPS y la junta escolar no tienen la autoridad para obligar a Acero a mantener abiertas sus escuelas. Pero los funcionarios tanto del distrito como del operador de las escuelas chárter han expresado su voluntad de trabajar juntos para encontrar una solución.

Helena Stangle, directora de cultura de Acero, dijo en una declaración que la red de escuelas “se enteró del contenido de esta resolución junto con el resto del público”.

“Esperamos evaluar el [plan] propuesto y continuar las conversaciones con CPS”, dijo.

Hay dudas sobre si CPS necesita estas escuelas Acero. Algunas de las escuelas están en edificios viejos y deteriorados que se sumarían a las necesidades de modernización de las instalaciones del distrito. Y las inscripciones en las escuelas de vecindario en muchas de estas áreas comunitarias ha disminuido durante la última década.

Los funcionarios de CPS también dijeron que las escuelas tendrían que cambiar significativamente para adaptarse a los estándares del distrito, como su plan de estudios.

Traducido por Jackie Serrato, La Voz Chicago



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Read the Luigi Mangione federal criminal complaint

Jane Wells
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Read the Luigi Mangione federal criminal complaint

CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione arrives in New York – Extended coverage


CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione arrives in New York – Extended coverage

15:23

NEW YORK – Luigi Mangione was charged with four federal crimes Thursday in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. 

This is in addition to the 11 charges he faces in New York, including first degree murder in furtherance of terrorism. 

The federal charges are significant because they open the possibility of him facing the death penalty. 

Mangione has been federally charged with two counts of stalking, murder, and using a weapon with a silencer. 

Read the full federal criminal complaint against him below. 

   Luigi Mangione Federal Criminal Complaint by CBSNewYork Scribd on Scribd

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Far-right provocateur Nicholas Fuentes appears for first hearing on battery charge

Jane Wells
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Far-right provocateur Nicholas Fuentes appears for first hearing on battery charge

Nicholas Fuentes, a far-right Internet personality known for his racist, sexist and antisemitic views, appeared in court Thursday for his first hearing on a misdemeanor charge stemming from a confrontation with a woman last month outside his Berwyn home.

Fuentes, 26, faces a single battery count for allegedly pepper-spraying the 57-year- woman, Marla Rose, when she went to confront him on Nov. 10 about a social media post he made, according to court records and an interview Rose gave to the Sun-Times.

Rose said she wanted to speak to Fuentes about a post on the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter, he made five days earlier that read, “Your body, my choice. Forever.”

The post was in reference to the “My body, my choice” slogan used by people who support abortion rights.

In a video that Rose recorded on her phone, Fuentes allegedly opened the door to his home after she rang a doorbell and immediately sprayed her with a substance believed to be pepper spray, then took her phone inside. Berwyn police later retrieved the phone.

The woman filed a complaint with police and Fuentes was arrested and charged on Nov. 27. Fuentes was released on his own recognizance with a summons to appear in court on the charge Thursday.

Under Illinois law, which eliminated the use of cash bail last year, Fuentes was not required to post a bond.

Simple battery, a Class A misdemeanor is punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine. Battery offenses are eligible for pretrial detention in Illinois if prosecutors ask for it and a judge makes certain findings in the case, but defendants in Illinois have the presumption of release.

Fuentes, his attorney and Rose each appeared for the brief hearing via the live-streaming service Zoom before Judge Shawnte Raines-Welch at the Fourth District courthouse in Maywood.

The judge informed Fuentes of his rights and the standard conditions of his pretrial release, including that he not commit any new offenses and that he appear for each subsequent hearing.

The judge further ordered Fuentes and Rose not to have contact with each other while the case is pending. A status hearing for Jan. 16 was set for prosecutors to provide Fuentes’ attorney with discovery.

A small group of demonstrators who appeared to be holding homemade signs critical of Fuentes were seen outside the courthouse, but left before the hearing took place after learning Fuentes would not appear in person.

Defendants typically appear in-person for their initial hearings, but since the Covid-19 pandemic, remote appearance have become common in Cook County. Supreme Court rules give judges discretion on whether to allow remote appearances.

A spokeswoman for the Office of Chief Judge Tim Evans could not immediately explain why the allowance was made for Fuentes on Thursday, or whether all defendants summoned to appear for their initial hearings in Maywood have the same option.

Fuentes’ attorney was not immediately available for comment.



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Former AT&T Illinois executive Paul La Schiazza accused of bribing Mike Madigan gets new trial date

Jane Wells
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Former AT&T Illinois executive Paul La Schiazza accused of bribing Mike Madigan gets new trial date

Former AT&T Illinois President Paul La Schiazza will face trial again June 3 after his first trial ended in September with a hung jury, a federal judge said Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman had previously delayed rescheduling La Schiazza’s trial, saying he first wanted to hear arguments on whether to acquit La Schiazza. But Gettleman shot down the former utility executive’s long-shot bid for an acquittal last week.

That means La Schiazza still faces charges that he bribed Madigan in 2017 by paying $22,500 to former state Rep. Edward “Eddie” Acevedo after Acevedo left the Illinois General Assembly.

Now, Madigan himself is on trial. Gettleman on Thursday told attorneys in La Schiazza’s case that putting “some time” between Madigan’s trial and a new La Schiazza trial “will be to the benefit of all the parties.” Gettleman also referenced the Madigan trial happening five floors below his courtroom, asking attorneys if they planned to call the same witnesses from their first trial.

“I know that in reading the paper — I don’t read it that carefully, but you see there have been issues in the Madigan trial that have come up recently regarding witnesses,” Gettleman said. “So where do you stand on that?”

Assistant U.S. Attorney Sushma Raju told Gettleman they were “not able to definitively state the number of witnesses is going to be different.” Both parties said they expected the new trial to last about two weeks.

La Schiazza’s attorneys appeared in the Madigan trial courtroom shortly after their hearing.

Jurors in Madigan’s corruption trial have spent the last week or so listening to much of the same testimony presented in La Schiazza’s trial. They also heard from Acevedo — who was not called to the witness stand in the La Schiazza case.

Madigan and his longtime ally, Michael McClain, are on trial for a broader alleged racketeering conspiracy.

The case against La Schiazza is much narrower. At the heart of it is legislation AT&T pushed in 2017 to help the utility end its costly obligation to provide landline telephone service to all Illinois residents. It was known as its Carrier of Last Resort, or COLR, bill.

McClain reached out to AT&T looking for a small contract for Acevedo in February 2017. Then, two days later, McClain told La Schiazza that Madigan had assigned McClain to the COLR legislation as a “special project,” emails show.

The contract for Acevedo suddenly became an urgent issue for La Schiazza more than a month later, on March 28, 2017, when he told his team he “got a call” and wanted them to “move quickly” on Acevedo’s contract.

McClain had a reputation in Springfield as an emissary of Madigan’s. Prosecutors say Acevedo, a veteran Latino politician, was valuable to Madigan because of the growing Latino population in Madigan’s 22nd District. Acevedo wound up serving a six-month prison sentence in 2022 for tax evasion but has not otherwise been charged.

No one at AT&T was particularly impressed with Acevedo in 2017. The longtime lawmaker had a bad reputation, and Republicans threatened to vote against AT&T’s agenda if Acevedo wound up on the utility’s payroll.

So AT&T funneled Acevedo’s money through a firm belonging to lobbyist Tom Cullen. La Schiazza told his staff he had no objection to the arrangement “as long as you are sure we will get credit and the box checked, and of course, we have legal approval to engage Eddie this way.”

The COLR bill became law after the state House and Senate voted around July 1, 2017, to override a veto from then-Gov. Bruce Rauner. Madigan voted in favor of the bill and to override the veto.

Less than two weeks later, on July 12, 2017, La Schiazza was asked by Madigan’s son, Andrew Madigan, to sponsor a nonprofit event “at the suggestion of our good friend Mike McClain.” La Schiazza griped by email to a colleague that “this will be endless.”

He later added, “We are on the friends and family plan now.”

Prosecutors argued that La Schiazza’s comments proved the exchange of Acevedo’s job for passage of the COLR bill, calling the emails an “after-the-fact discussion of what [La Schiazza] did and why he did it.”



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Snow to hit Chicago area tonight but likely won’t stay around for Christmas

Jane Wells
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Snow to hit Chicago area tonight but likely won’t stay around for Christmas

Two rounds of snow could coat parts of the Chicago area with 1 to 2 inches of snow by Saturday morning but don’t expect a white Christmas.

Snow showers are expected to move into the Chicago area Thursday night, mixing with a bit of rain, by Friday morning, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Zachary Yack. Another round of snow will hit the area late Friday night.

The north suburbs will see the bulk of the snow.

Lake-effect snow will fall on northwest Indiana before dissipating Saturday.

“Chicago has an 80 to 90% chance of seeing snow,” Yack said, adding there will likely be winds of 30 to 35 mph Friday. “The tricky part of this forecast is how roads will respond.”

A cold front is expected to move in Saturday and bring high temperatures in the upper 20s before returning to the low 30s on Sunday.

Chicago is not expected to have a white Christmas — defined as when 1 inch of snow is on the ground, Yack said. Temperatures are expected to reach the upper 30s or lower 40s with a possibility of rain on Christmas Eve, extending through Christmas.

The last white Christmas here was in 2022.

On average, Chicago gets one every three years, so Yack said 2025 may be the year.

“We are not expecting white Christmas,” Yack said. “I guess next year will be our best bet.”



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CTA locks down Red Line extension funding before Trump takes office

Jane Wells
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CTA locks down Red Line extension funding before Trump takes office

The Chicago Transit Authority has locked down nearly $2 billion in federal funding for the Red Line extension, securing money some worried could be at risk after President Joe Biden leaves office in a month.

The Federal Transit Administration intends to sign an agreement that will contractually obligate the $1.9 billion in federal grants to the project, according to an announcement from Illinois’ congressional delegation.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin called the funding commitment a “significant milestone.”

The lawmakers first announced $1.9 billion in federal funding in September 2023. But some worried the funding commitment could be at risk after Donald Trump became president-elect in November. Trump has long condemned Chicago. Some worried he may be itching to get back at Mayor Brandon Johnson, who campaigned for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Durbin’s news release states the “funding agreement will contractually obligate $1.9 billion in federal funding to the project, solidifying the federal government’s commitment to the project.”

The CTA hopes to begin constructing the Red Line extension late next year and finish in 2029. The project includes new stations at 103rd; 111th Street near Eggleston Avenue; along Michigan Avenue near 116th Street; and the new terminal at 130th Street near Altgeld Gardens.

The CTA hired a contractor for the project in August while updating the projected cost from $3.6 billion to $5.3 billion. CTA’s 2025 budget now estimates the whole project at $5.75 billion.

The CTA says it plans to cover the remainder of the price tag with funding from the state, local transit tax increment financing funds, CTA bonds and other sources.



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Well-suited – Chicago Reader

Jane Wells
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Well-suited – Chicago Reader

diptych of two photos; left photo of white man standing outside near a brick building. he is wearing a motorcycle jacket and yellow pants. right photo of a man posing while wearing a hat, a tan coat draped over his shoulders and a polka dot black and white suit
Left: Colin Tighe wears motorcycle clothing with Crocs; right: Chip Hendon opted for a full polka-dot outfit down to his socks. Credit: Isa Giallorenzo

Suits have long been a menswear staple for two reasons: they are practical and they look great. A head-to-toe outfit is a cohesive statement and a neat way of clearly conveying a point of view. But in these casual and creative days, suits are not always the answer, as proven by the stylish Chicagoans featured in this article. They found all kinds of ways of suiting up without wearing a suit.

Colin Tighe paired a motorcycle jacket they recently thrifted with a pair of motorcycle pants they’ve had for a while, then added a pair of Crocs for comfort. Model and wardrobe stylist Alejandro Mena opted for vintage luxe while working on a styling project with his colleagues at the Pop-Up boutique in Wicker Park (at 1753 N. Damen, the former home of RSVP Gallery). Mena was wearing a vintage Dior tracksuit, a vintage Louis Vuitton bag, and a pair of Nike Cortez shoes made for martial arts. 

a man wearing a navy blue tracksuit with white shoes and carrying a brown satchel stands under a bridge
Alejandro Mena Credit: Isa Giallorenzo
a white man stands outside on a sunny day with a blue sky in the background. he is wearing a matching black shirt and shorts set with white piping, a baseball cap, and tennis shoes.
Gabe Stahl Credit: Isa Giallorenzo

Physician Gabe Stahl decided to honor his heritage with an embroidered hoodie and basketball shorts from a Market and H Bar C collab. “[These pieces] remind me of the southwest, and my formative years were spent in Arizona. They are also unique and kind of a way of dressing up while also dressing down.” That’s the beauty of a matching set. It always looks put together, no matter how sporty. 

One can even attend a gala while wearing party pajamas if the accessories are just right. Coordinated creativity was on display for the partygoers at October’s Golden Jubilee, a celebration of the Costume Council hosted at the Chicago History Museum. The evening also served as an exhibition preview for “Dressed in History: A Costume Collection Retrospective,” which is on view through July 2025 at the museum. 

rhan rodgers wears comme des garcons with a tall stovepipe black hat. he is also wearing sunglasses and posing while standing on a checkered black and white tile floor
Rhan Rodgers Credit: Isa Giallorenzo
david jude greene wears a set of marni pajamas in black and white vertical stripe along with a shriner hat while standing in front of a gold streamer laden wall
David Jude Greene Credit: Isa Giallorenzo

Artist David Jude Greene rocked his striped Marni pajamas at the event. “I’m wearing a vintage hat from my grandfather from the Medinah Temple because since we are at the History Museum and it’s [a] Costume Council [event], I thought I should wear something about our city,” said Greene. “Then [I added] this fun lobster brooch I found 15 years ago in [the Northalsted district]. I wanted pajamas because I wanted to be comfortable. Rather than black tie, I thought I’d go a little different.”

Fashion entrepreneur and stylist Rhan Rodgers, also in attendance at the Golden Jubilee, matched feathered textures in his Comme des Garçons ensemble. He topped off his outfit with an extra-tall statement hat that he brought back to the States from Paris. Rodgers was honored as one of this year’s Men of Style during September’s Chicago Men’s Fashion Awards, another Costume Council event. The Chicago Comme des Garçons enthusiast is not one to follow trends. “I create my own look,” he said. “This is my soul, and this is me. I set myself apart from the rest of the world.”  

Also doing his own thing, visual manager Chip Hendon opted for a full polka-dot outfit that went all the way down to his socks. “I just thought I’d wear a random pattern, one thing, and then overdo it. Dots popped into my head and . . . voilà!”

Hendon’s sartorial choices depend on his mood. “You never know what you’re going to get. I wake up, maybe see one thing, and end up building a whole outfit off of that thing,” he said. “Or I’ll be like, ‘Today’s western. Today’s the 1920s. Today’s the 1950s.’ I never know. There’s always something going on. Tomorrow, I’m thinking it might be metallic. It’s very shiny, but silver, not gold,” he said, envisioning yet another coordinated showstopper. 

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Burglars break into 6 businesses on same block within minutes in McKinley Park overnight

Jane Wells
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Burglars break into 6 businesses on same block within minutes in McKinley Park overnight

Burglars broke into six businesses on the same block within 15 minutes early Wednesday in McKinley Park on the Southwest Side.

The string of burglaries occurred roughly between 2:15 a.m. and 2:25 a.m. in the 3100 block of South Ashland Avenue, Chicago police said.

In each burglary, four burglars wearing dark clothing, masks and gloves broke the front glass window or door of the businesses and took money and cash registers, police said.

They then fled in a stolen black Hyundai Elantra with chrome rims, officials said.

Separetely, police warned of multiple armed robberies of food delivery drivers, also in McKinley Park, most recently in the 3700 block of South Wood Street around 11:40 p.m. Monday night. Police say the robberies and burglaries aren’t connected.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Area One Detectives at 312-747-8384 or submit an anonymous tip at CPDTIP.com and use reference number P24-1-199.



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Bears predictions: Week 16 vs. Lions

Jane Wells
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Bears predictions: Week 16 vs. Lions

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ home game Sunday against the Lions (noon, Fox 32):

Rick Morrissey

Lions, 35-20: Detroit is a wounded team, having just added running back David Mongomery and defensive tackle Alim McNeill to a long list of players lost to injuries. It will mean absolutely nothing against the Bears, unless the Lions are down to eight healthy players during Sunday’s game. And even then … Season: 11-3.

Rick Telander

Lions, 27-16: A whole bunch of Lions are injured, including Montgomery and star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, once a contender for defensive MVP. No matter. Would you pick the Bears to beat anybody, injured, healthy, otherwise? Season: 8-6.

Scoop Jackson

Lions, 34-20: Even without Montgomery on the field to rub what they lost in him (and what he gained being in Detroit) in the Bears organization’s face, the message will still be sent. And unfortunately received. Season: 8-6.

Patrick Finley

Lions, 34-24: Last year, the Broncos gave up 70 to the Dolphins and the next week beat the Bears 31-28. After allowing the Bills to score 48 Sunday, the Lions will give up half as many at Soldier Field. Season: `12-2.

Jason Lieser

Lions, 40-25: The Lions finished last in the NFC North at 3-13-1 in 2021. Since then, they’re 33-15, while the Bears have gone 14-34. Season: 10-4.

Mark Potash

Lions, 30-24: The Bears play the Lions tough — they won 28-13 at Soldier Field last year — and are at home for the first time since Nov. 24. And the Lions are hurting — six Week 1 defensive starters are on IR. That might keep it close. Season: 9-5.



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Amazon workers in Skokie strike, joining picket lines across the U.S.

Jane Wells
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Amazon workers in Skokie strike, joining picket lines across the U.S.

We break down complex business news to help you understand how money moves in Chicago and how it affects you.

With less than a week before the holiday shopping rush ends, Amazon workers in Skokie launched a strike this morning and joined other striking workers at six of the online retail giant’s facilities in New York, Atlanta and California.

It is unclear how long the strike will last. On Thursday morning a few dozen workers wearing winter coats and hats marched outside the Skokie facility carrying signs that read “Amazon is Unfair” and other slogans. Hundreds of workers at delivery station DIL7 in Skokie voted Monday to authorize a strike.

The site serves thousands of Chicago-area households, according to the Teamsters, which says it represents hundreds of delivery drivers in Skokie. Workers there organized this summer and are demanding union recognition and a contract from Amazon.

“Amazon is one of the biggest, richest corporations in the world,” Gabriel Irizarry, a driver at DIL7 in Skokie, said in a news release on Thursday. “They talk a big game about taking care of their workers, but when it comes down to it, Amazon does not respect us and our right to negotiate for better working conditions and wages. We can’t even afford to pay our bills.”

Nearly 10,000 Amazon workers have joined the Teamsters, according to the labor union. They are demanding higher wages, better benefits and improved safety conditions.

On Thursday, workers at other Amazon facilities also joined the picket line in New York City, Atlanta, Southern California and San Francisco.

Amazon has not recognized the union affiliation at the Skokie facility. According to a company spokesperson, subcontractors who drive for third-party delivery companies are not Amazon employees. Therefore there is no obligation to negotiate, Eileen Hards, an Amazon spokesperson, said Tuesday.

She added that previous strikes at other Amazon sites have not affected operations and deliveries.

Amazon Teamsters at other facilities are prepared to join the picketing, said the union. Teamsters local unions are also putting up primary picket lines at hundreds of Amazon Fulfillment Centers nationwide.

“If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon’s insatiable greed. We gave Amazon a clear deadline to come to the table and do right by our members. They ignored it,” said Sean O’Brien, Teamsters general president, in a news release on Thursday.

“These greedy executives had every chance to show decency and respect for the people who make their obscene profits possible. Instead, they’ve pushed workers to the limit and now they’re paying the price. This strike is on them.”

Since workers in Skokie joined the Teamsters, the online retailer “has illegally refused to recognize their union and bargain a labor agreement. The Teamsters gave Amazon a deadline of Dec. 15 to come to the bargaining table and negotiate a contract,” said a statement the labor union released Monday, when drivers voted to authorize the strike.

“Amazon chose to ignore that deadline and is pushing workers across the country closer to launching a strike that could disrupt operations for customers at the height of the holiday season.”

Earlier this month Amazon announced record sales during Black Friday Week and Cyber Monday from Nov. 21 through Dec. 2 compared to previous years.

Riley Holzworth, a worker at the Skokie facility, said in the Teamsters’ news release on Monday, “Amazon is one of the biggest companies on Earth, but we are struggling to pay our bills. Other workers are seeing our example and joining our movement, because we are only going to get the treatment we deserve if we fight for it.”

Hards, Amazon’s spokesperson, said in a statement Tuesday, “For more than a year now, the Teamsters have continued to intentionally mislead the public — claiming that they represent ‘thousands of Amazon employees and drivers.’ They don’t, and this is another attempt to push a false narrative about the independent small businesses who deliver on our behalf.”

The Teamsters claim that Amazon avoids responsibility for its drivers through its “delivery service provider” subcontractor business model, yet has “total control over the wages, workplace conditions and safety standards of the drivers.”

Preliminary findings from a National Labor Relations Board investigation in California this summer found that Amazon is a joint employer of its subcontractor drivers, and has a legal duty to recognize and bargain with the Teamsters.

“The NLRB confirmed what every Amazon driver already knew: The [delivery service provider] system is a sham, and Amazon is our true employer. It is time for Amazon to take responsibility for the low pay and unsafe working conditions drivers face,” Deibi Reyes, a Skokie Amazon driver, said in a Teamsters news release this summer.

Hards of Amazon said in Tuesday’s statement, “The truth is that the Teamsters have actively threatened, intimidated and attempted to coerce Amazon employees and third-party drivers to join them, which is illegal and is the subject of multiple pending unfair labor practice charges against the union.”

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million people in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.



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