A union victory in Quebec has led Amazon to shut down its local warehouses, impacting 1,700 jobs.
The workers, represented by the CSN union, were fed up with the fast-paced work environment, low pay, and safety concerns. It turns out Amazon only has one other unionized group in North America, which is in Staten Island, New York. That group has been waiting for a contract since 2022.
In Quebec, the laws are stricter, meaning Amazon would have had to negotiate a collective agreement soon. If they didn’t, the government could have stepped in to help. Experts pointed out that time was running out for Amazon to reach a deal.
Amazon tried to fight the union’s certification but lost. If they had reached an agreement, it could have opened the door for more unions in other facilities across Quebec. But now, Amazon has decided to close all seven of its Quebec warehouses, laying off 1,700 workers and outsourcing jobs to third-party companies. This decision comes after a period of rapid growth for Amazon in the province, which started in July 2020.
When asked for a comment, Amazon declined an interview but stated that the decision was purely about cutting costs. A spokesperson mentioned that they’ve been using third-party carriers in Quebec for years and that this change would help them provide better service and savings for customers.
This situation reminds some folks of a similar case from 20 years ago when Walmart closed a store in Jonquière, Quebec, right after workers unionized. Back then, the Supreme Court ruled that Walmart had violated Quebec labor laws.
Now, Amazon is shutting down all its Quebec facilities, claiming it’s about saving money, not about the new union. Experts believe that if Amazon had only closed the Laval warehouse, it would have been against the law since they were supposed to be negotiating.
The CSN is likely to take Amazon to court over this. They’re saying the closures go against labor laws, and they plan to fight back.
For many workers, like Alexandre Campeau, an Amazon delivery driver from Lachine, this news is devastating. He’s worried about finding a new job that pays as well as his current one.
Amazon has grown into a massive company, worth $2 trillion, with many facilities across Canada. Unions have been targeting them for a while, claiming that their focus on speed can lead to unsafe working conditions.
Recently, workers at several U.S. locations even went on strike over poor conditions. There’s a growing movement among workers to stand up for their rights, but they’re facing tough opposition from big companies like Amazon.
After the news of the closures, some customers are threatening to boycott Amazon, return their purchases, and cancel their accounts. Meanwhile, Unifor is still waiting for the results of a union vote at a warehouse in Delta, B.C., which is currently sealed due to a complaint about unfair labor practices.
In Quebec, Amazon was also ordered to stop interfering with union activities at another facility last year, and they had to pay $30,000 in damages. Experts believe that the rise of companies like Amazon poses a serious challenge for the labor movement, as they change the standards in warehousing and logistics, often lowering wages and working conditions. Unions are trying to figure out how to tackle this issue, and it raises questions about how governments will respond in the future.
