They took a stand against Amazon for their drivers. They say it cost them their businesses
CNN
Ryan Schmutzer and Tracy Bloemer, owners of businesses that deliver packages for Amazon in Portland, Oregon, hit their breaking point this spring.
Both had run technically independent businesses since 2019 that usually rent vans owned by Amazon, and are paid by Amazon to deliver its packages. The businesses are called "delivery service partners," or DSPs, for short. DSPs have about 20-40 vans and up to 100 employees. The DSP program has expanded to nine countries, creating 158,000 jobs at 2,500 DSPs, according to Amazon.
Amazon's DSPs have played a critical role as the company grew rapidly during the pandemic, and relied less on delivery companies like UPS. But many drivers who work for Amazon DSPs have reported frustrations. Pay is low compared to competitors like FedEx and UPS. Turnover is high. Working conditions worsened during the pandemic, drivers say.