Amazon’s rapid growth in Quebec ends with facility closures and union developments
This all comes after a pretty wild ride of growth and the formation of a union at one of their spots. Let’s break it down a bit.
Back in November 2019, Amazon was all excited about opening its first facility in Quebec, a sorting center in Lachine. They were looking to create around 300 permanent jobs, promising good pay and benefits. Fast forward to January 2021, and they were announcing even more facilities, including one in Coteau-du-Lac, which they called their most advanced sorting center.
But then things took a turn. In April 2024, a union filed to represent workers at a Laval warehouse, marking a first for Amazon in Quebec. Workers were unhappy with their conditions, and the union president said they needed to band together to make a change.
By May, the union was officially certified, making it the first Amazon warehouse in Canada to unionize. Amazon wasn’t too happy about it and contested the decision.
Things got even messier in August when a judge ordered Amazon to stop interfering with union activities and to remove anti-union posters. They were hit with a hefty fine too.
Then, in January 2025, Amazon dropped the bombshell that they’d be closing their Quebec facilities soon. They claimed it was all about cost savings, not the unionization. But with over 1,700 jobs on the line, it’s hard not to wonder. What a rollercoaster, right?
