Thousands of Drivers Sue Amazon, Alleging Unpaid Wages

More than 15,700 Amazon Flex drivers filed arbitration claims against the company, alleging they were misclassified as independent contractors. 

The claims, filed June 11 in California, Illinois and Massachusetts, allege that the drivers should have been classified as employees under those states’ laws. The workers are “seeking compensation for unpaid wages, overtime, and reimbursement for eligible expenses, such as mileage and cell phone usage,” according to a release. 

Amazon Flex drivers deliver with their personal vehicles and are paid a pre-set number of scheduled hours in a delivery shift, regardless of how long it takes to complete their delivery route, the release states. Some of the drivers bringing claims stated that they worked far longer than their scheduled hours and were not paid for the extra time. 

The release states that there were already 450 claims against the program on file with the American Arbitration Association, bringing the total number to over 16,000.