Thousands of Amazon workers are set to walk off the job on Thursday morning during the peak holiday shopping season, as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters claims the retail giant has failed to engage in contract negotiations.

The union said that it will be the largest strike against Amazon in US history, with the strike set to impact seven Amazon facilities across multiple US locations including New York City, Skokie, Illinois, Atlanta, San Francisco and southern California, according to union officials. The Teamsters, which represents about 10,000 workers at 10 of Amazon's US facilities, gave the company a Sunday deadline to begin negotiations for better wages and working conditions.

"If your package is delayed during the holidays, you can blame Amazon's insatiable greed," said Teamsters general president Sean M. O'Brien. "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."

Workers on the ground have expressed strong views about the action. "What we're doing is historic," said Leah Pensler, a warehouse worker at DCK6 in San Francisco. "We are fighting against a vicious union-busting campaign, and we are going to win."

The strike poses a challenge to Amazon's operations during its busiest period, though union-represented facilities make up only about 1 per cent of Amazon's hourly workforce. The Teamsters said local unions will establish picket lines at hundreds of Amazon fulfilment centres nationwide.

"Amazon is one of the biggest, richest corporations in the world," said Gabriel Irizarry, a driver at DIL7 in Skokie, Illinois. "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."

As the world's second-largest private employer after Walmart, Amazon recently announced a $2.1 billion investment to raise pay for fulfilment and transportation employees in the US, increasing base wages by at least $1.50 to around $22 per hour, representing roughly a 7 per cent increase.

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