For over four years, Germany’s nationwide service-sector union ver.di has been fighting for a fair contract at Amazon’s shipping facilities. The company has faced over 150 strike days, most recently when hundreds of workers stopped work at multiple locations over Easter. The ongoing struggle has become one of the toughest and most protracted labor disputes in modern German history, and it probably won’t end anytime soon.

Many observers have depicted the conflict as a disagreement over whether to classify Amazon as a retail or logistics operation, which would determine the collective bargaining agreements the company must follow. Were this true, the dispute would almost certainly be less intense and could have been resolved by Amazon joining either the logistics or retail employers’ association.

In reality, the fight between Amazon and ver.di is about something much bigger: the world’s largest online retailer fundamentally opposes negotiating with unions. What happens at Amazon Germany will ultimately decide who sets the company’s working conditions: the bosses alone, or management in negotiation with labor.