Amazon announced the closure of its Quebec facilities and the elimination of over 1,700 jobs, stating that it would switch to outsourcing deliveries to smaller contractors as a cost-saving measure. The move coincides with unionization efforts at one of its warehouses, where workers have expressed concerns over pay and safety. Although Amazon claims the decision is unrelated to recent union activities, it is significant as Quebec hosts its only unionized workforce in Canada. The company is expected to finalize the closures within the next two months, affecting seven sites.
Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we found that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses... will enable us to offer the same excellent service and deliver even greater savings to our customers in the long term.
The unionized workers in Laval were dissatisfied with what they described as a hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures.
At a recent demonstration, the workers said they were demanding $26 per hour, a $6 increase.
Amazon had said it was negotiating with the workers, but they had not yet reached a collective agreement.
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