breaking

Amazon Secures NLRB Settlement, Avoids Joint Employer Ruling

Amazon has prevailed in a lengthy National Labor Relations Board proceeding that threatened to establish the e-commerce giant as a joint employer with its independent delivery service partners.

An NLRB administrative law judge approved a settlement agreement between the board's General Counsel and Amazon, effectively ending the case without issuing a precedent-setting ruling on joint employer status.

The dispute centered on Battle Tested Strategies, a delivery service provider operating from Amazon's Palmdale, California facility. BTS became the only DSP where employees voted for union representation through the Teamsters, prompting Amazon to terminate the operating agreement in June 2023.

The regional NLRB office filed a complaint in September 2024, arguing Amazon should recognize and bargain with the union as a joint employer. The Teamsters have challenged the settlement, calling it defective. Hearings began in September 2024 and continued into 2026.