Amazon driver reportedly abandoned 80 packages in the woods because 'they were stressed'
Holiday stress was particularly severe for one Amazon driver in Lakeville, Massachusetts, according to local police.
NBC News reported Tuesday that officers discovered a total of 80 packages in a wooded area at approximately 2 AM early Tuesday morning while on patrol. The location where they discovered the packages was near an industrial area, which suggests the driver may have just chosen the site at random to dump the packages. The patrol came several hours after an Amazon driver contacted police and told them they had abandoned the packages "because they were stressed."
"Sgt. Shawn Robert was on routine patrol when he noticed items unattended in a wooded area near 63 Bedford St," read a press release from the Lakeville Police Department. "Upon further investigation, Sgt. Robert determined they were three large totes full of Amazon packages that were spread out several feet into the woods."
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After taking the packages back to the police station, officers reportedly contacted an Amazon distribution center in Middleborough, Massachusetts and returned the packages to the company.
"I am proud of the way our Lakeville Police officers handled and investigated this matter," Lakeville Police Chief Matthew Perkins told NBC. "At this time, we are not seeking criminal charges and are considering this a human resources matter for Amazon."
The news of the abandoned packages comes amid a multi-state strike by Amazon drivers in California, Illinois and New York. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), which represents the drivers, said the strike was due to the company's "illegal refusal to recognize their union and negotiate a contract." Workers are demanding a "living wage" with guaranteed pay increases, safer working conditions, job security and protection from arbitrary firings along with "dignity and respect for all employees."
"Amazon's refusal to negotiate is a direct attack on our rights," said Connor Spence, president of the New York-based Amazon Labor Union-IBT Local 1 earlier this month. "If Amazon chooses to ignore us, they’re the ones ruining Christmas for millions of families. We’re not just fighting for a contract; we’re fighting for the future of worker power at Amazon and beyond."
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Click here to read NBC's full report.
