By Dan Laxer and Chelsey St-Pierre
The Suburban
Just one day after news broke that Amazon is pulling all of its operations out of Quebec, the Amazon sign had been removed from the massive recently built Lachine distribution center. And nearly 2,000 workers – 1,700 permanent staff and 250 temporary workers – were suddenly without a job throughout the province.
The move appeared to have stemmed from a push to unionization. Last April the Confédération des Syndicats Nationaux (CSN) filed with the Tribunal Administratif de Travail (TAT) to represent the 300 employees at the Laval location of the Amazon DXT4 warehouse. A majority of employees joined the union, so the TAT officially certified it in May. July saw the start of negotiations for a collective agreement. Even though talks were not concluded, a statement by the CSN says they had been “progressing.”
The closures, says CSN President Caroline Senneville, “are part of an anti-union campaign against the CSN and Amazon employees.” Quebec was the only Amazon location in Canada represented by a union. There had been attempts to unionize Amazon facilities in British Columbia and Ontario, but those efforts had been rebuffed by the company. The “wild closures,” Senneville says, “is a slap in the face for all workers in Quebec,” Senneville says. “Since the beginning of our campaign three years ago, Amazon has done everything it can to prevent its employees from unionizing: fear campaigns, anti-union messages, contesting the Labour Code, disguised dismissals. And today, we learn that the multinational prefers to withdraw from Quebec rather than respect its obligation to agree on a collective agreement? This is totally unacceptable.”
Senneville points out that there had been a push to unionize at the Lachine location, which was rebuffed by Amazon. In fact, last August the TAT ordered Amazon to stop getting in the way of unionization; the company had posted anti-union posters at different locations. It was also ordered to pay $30,000 in moral and punitive damages.
Amazon’s position, however, is that the closures have nothing to do with unionization. Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait provided The Suburban with the company’s position, saying the move “will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run.” Employees impacted by the closures, Agrait says, will be given a package that includes up to 14 weeks pay and transitional benefits, like job placement resources.
Premier François Legault had little to say about the closures. He expressed sympathy for the employees who have lost their jobs, but said the move is “a private decision by a private company.” Federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne said that he reached out to the head of Amazon Canada to express “dismay and frustration” about the closures and resultant job losses. “This is not the way business is done in Canada.”
Workers’ reactions ranged from fear to uncertainty over immediate employment prospects. In the West Island, warehouse workers and logistics specialists have taken to professional networking sites to signal their availability, actively connecting with other local businesses in the area.
In Montreal, particularly around the Lachine facility, workers have created informal job-search networks, sharing leads on warehouse and logistics positions. “Team morale is at zero and no one feels like working,” said one Amazon delivery driver after learning of the closure. “It’s so unfortunate. Over 2,000 jobs will be lost,” said another affected worker. “We’re worried. We have families to support and the notice is very short.”
Meanwhile in Laval, where employees had recently unionized, workers posted they were “dissatisfied” with what they described as a “hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures”. The upcoming closure has sparked a grassroots support network among affected staff in all three regions, with many offering to help colleagues update resumes and prepare for interviews with other employers.
Demonstrations of solidarity have begun taking place at multiple locations, with dozens of unionized Amazon employees in Laval participated in protests as discussions continue between CSN and the company. Local labour organizations remain firm in their stance that the withdrawal is connected to unionization efforts, despite Amazon’s denials.
The company’s departure has also sparked widespread community backlash, with thousands of Quebecers, workers and non-workers alike, joining a boycott movement. Montreal resident Anne Lagacé Dowson, one of the boycott participants, expressed relief at cutting ties with the company. “Amazon is a terrible corporation, unethical, with drivers and people working conveyor belts in horrible work conditions, constantly being rushed,” she said to The Suburban. “I don’t want to do business with this company anymore. I feel relieved.”
Posters supporting the boycott have begun appearing on homes and businesses throughout Montreal. The impact of Amazon’s exit extends beyond immediate job losses. According to company statements, Amazon plans to return to a third-party delivery model, similar to its approach before 2020, which could create opportunities for local small businesses to fill the delivery void. The complete closure of all seven facilities is scheduled to be completed by March 2025. n