'It's a move that runs counter to the provisions of the Labour Code,' says union
Amazon Canada has announced it will shut down all seven of its Quebec warehouses, resulting in the loss of 1,700 permanent jobs and 250 temporary positions over the next two months.
The e-commerce giant framed the closures as a strategic move to provide “even more savings to our customers over the long run,” denying any link to recent unionization efforts within the province.
“This is about offering the best service we can to customers in a way that’s efficient and cost effective,” Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait told the Financial Post, in response to inquiries regarding whether the closures were aimed at discouraging union activity.
According to Agrait, the decision to close the Quebec facilities followed "a recent review of our Quebec operations" and was not made lightly. The affected sites include one fulfillment center, two sorting centers, three delivery stations, and a facility known as AMXL, which handles large-item shipments such as televisions and furniture.
The closures signify Amazon's return to a pre-2020 business model in Quebec, which relied on local third-party companies for package deliveries. The shift follows the successful unionization of about 240 workers at the DXT4 warehouse in Laval, Quebec, in May.
This facility became the first of Amazon's Canadian warehouses to unionize after overcoming significant opposition from the company.
Amazon had contested the workers' union accreditation with the Confederation of National Trade Unions, which accused the company of “flooding the workplace with scaremongering messages,” says the Financial Post. The company ultimately lost its challenge at the province’s labour tribunal in October.
Caroline Senneville, president of the union involved in organizing the Laval facility, expressed strong doubts about Amazon's motives, calling the closures (translated) "a slap in the face for all Quebec workers" and attributing them to an anti-union agenda.
“It’s a move that runs counter to the provisions of the Labour Code, and one we’ll be taking a firm stand against,” she stated.
Amazon has faced previous accusations of anti-union activity in Quebec. In 2023, the province’s labour tribunal ruled against the company in a case involving a warehouse in the Montreal borough of Lachine. The tribunal determined that Amazon had communicated anti-union messages to employees and ordered the company to pay the union $30,000, though it dismissed claims of direct threats or intimidation, says the Financial Post.
Agrait, in response, maintained Amazon's stance, stating the company strongly disagrees with "the limited finding that our factual communications with employees about the process were somehow improper" and confirmed that Amazon is appealing the decision.
These closures have drawn attention to an ongoing unionization effort at an Amazon warehouse in Delta, B.C., ays the report. Unifor applied to certify the facility last year, but the vote results remain sealed due to an unfair labour practices complaint filed by the union.