Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.

Why are Amazon and Starbucks workers striking over the holidays? “This is a time when both companies make a lot of money,” one expert said.

The Amazon delivery strike began on Dec. 19 and ended on Christmas Eve, while the Starbucks strike began Dec. 20, and ended on Christmas.

Amazon and Starbucks workers strike for union recognition and better working conditions. Labor leaders prepare for potential rollback of worker protections under Trump administration. California unions seek state-level safeguards against weakening federal labor regulations.

Less than a week before Christmas, Amazon and Starbucks employees are striking as their respective companies refuse to meet union demands.

Amazon delivery drivers and Starbucks baristas are on strike in a handful of U.S. cities as they seek to exert pressure on the two major companies to recognize them as unionized employees or to meet demands for an inaugural labor contract.

In North Alabama, the Teamsters have extended picket lines to Amazon facilities in Huntsville, “delaying some shipments and letting the workers here know their rights, and encouraging them to join the nationwide movement to organize Amazon.” The NAALC statement encourages North Alabama Amazon workers to “heed the call” and unionize.

The Starbucks workers' strike continues to grow. Here in Memphis, the Action News 5 crew caught a group of Starbucks employees striking outside the store in Poplar Plaza, near the University of Memphis,