More than 1,700 full-time employees will lose their jobs as the e-commerce giant is to close all operations in the province, including its warehouses
Author of the article:Jane Switzer
Published Jan 22, 2025 •
FINANCIAL POST
An Amazon warehouse in Montreal's Lachine borough,
on Wednesday January 22, 2025.
Photo by John Mahoney/Postmedia
Amazon.com Inc. announced on Wednesday that it will close all its Quebec warehouses and lay off about 1,700 full-time employees — a move the union representing workers at the e-commerce behemoth’s only unionized Canadian facility called a “slap in the face for all workers in Quebec.”
“Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we’ve seen that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run,” Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said in a statement via email. “This decision wasn’t made lightly, and we’re offering impacted employees a package that includes up to 14 weeks’ pay after facilities close and transitional benefits, like job placement resources.”
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Amazon opened its first Quebec warehouse in 2020, expanding to a total of seven facilities in the province: one fulfillment centre, two sorting centres, three delivery centres and one AMXL fulfilment centre that handles large and heavy items.
The closures will also affect about 250 temporary seasonal employees whose contracts already specified end dates. Temporary seasonal employees will be compensated until the last day of their contract, Amazon said.
Amazon employs more than 46,000 full-time and part-time workers across Canada in its warehouses, technology hubs and corporate offices, according to its website.
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Quebec Amazon warehouse workers union application certified
The DXT4 warehouse in Laval is the only unionized Amazon facility in Canada and received accreditation in May after two years of organizing with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). Since July, the union had been working to negotiate a collective agreement.
CSN said in a statement that it learned about the closures on Wednesday morning via email from one of Amazon’s lawyers, and that “there is no doubt that the closures announced today are part of an anti-union campaign against the CSN and against Amazon employees.”
Quebec Amazon warehouse workers union application certified
The DXT4 warehouse in Laval is the only unionized Amazon facility in Canada and received accreditation in May after two years of organizing with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). Since July, the union had been working to negotiate a collective agreement.
CSN said in a statement that it learned about the closures on Wednesday morning via email from one of Amazon’s lawyers, and that “there is no doubt that the closures announced today are part of an anti-union campaign against the CSN and against Amazon employees.”
Amazon to close Quebec facilities, insists it's not because of new union
Nearly 2,000 employees will lose their jobs
Matthew Lapierre · CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2025
Employees stunned by Amazon’s decision to close Quebec operations
TimelineA brief history of Amazon in Quebec: A rapid expansion, and a union forms
Mahzad Shayegan, a dispatcher, said he and his colleagues had been told they were going to lose their jobs in two weeks. He said he would have to go on welfare.
"Looking for a job is not good now. It's not a good time," he said.
At a recent demonstration, the Laval workers said they were demanding $26 per hour, a $6 pay increase.
Amazon had said it was negotiating with the workers, but they had not yet reached a collective agreement.
The company opened its first facility in Quebec in 2020 in the borough of Lachine. It now has seven sites in Quebec, including sorting centres and warehouses. Most of them are in the Montreal area. One is in Coteau-du-Lac, about 60 kilometres west of the city.
WATCH | Here was the scene at a warehouse a month ago during contract negotiations:
Canada’s only Amazon workers’ union braces for 1st offer from employer
1 month ago
Duration1:45
Amazon workers strike at seven U.S. locations, alleging unfair treatment
Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet told reporters the government will provide support to the workers who lost their jobs to help them re-enter the labour market as quickly as possible. He said there are still labour shortages in some sectors and expressed optimism that the workers would be able to find new jobs.
He declined to comment on the reasons Amazon gave for closing its Quebec facilities.
Intelcom, a Montreal-based courier and package delivery company that Amazon subcontracts for deliveries, released a statement saying only that it would continue working with Amazon to "respond to their delivery needs in Quebec."
Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne expressed "dismay and frustration" in a post on X on Wednesday.
"This is not the way business is done in Canada," he wrote.
Amazon's shares were up on Wednesday afternoon.
Nearly 2,000 employees will lose their jobs
Matthew Lapierre · CBC News · Posted: Jan 22, 2025
Employees stunned by Amazon’s decision to close Quebec operations
Amazon has announced it will close all of its operations in Quebec, resulting in nearly 2,000 people losing their jobs. The decision has some questioning the timing of the closure because one of the facilities had recently unionized.
Amazon announced on Wednesday it will shutter its facilities in Quebec in the coming weeks and cut nearly 2,000 jobs, 1,700 of which are permanent positions.
A company spokesperson said Amazon will outsource deliveries to smaller contractors. The spokesperson insisted that the decision was tied to cost savings — not the recent unionization of about 300 employees at a Laval, Que., warehouse.
"Following a recent review of our Quebec operations," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement, "we found that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to the one we had until 2020, will enable us to offer the same excellent service and deliver even greater savings to our customers in the long term."
It was not immediately clear when Amazon would close its facilities, but the spokesperson told Radio-Canada it would happen in the "next two months."
A Quebec Employment Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday that Amazon Canada issued a notice of collective layoff affecting 1,997 employees across seven locations. Amazon also shared the layoff dates, which are as follows:Laval (DXT4): 287 employees, Feb. 8.
Saint-Hubert (HYU1): 38 employees, Feb. 8.
Lachine (DXT6): 319 employees, Feb. 8.
Laval (DXT5): 268 employees, Feb. 8.
Saint-Hubert (YUL5): 371 employees, Feb. 15.
Lachine (YUL2): 358 employees, March 15.
Coteau-du-Lac (YUL9): 356 employees, March 22.
Amazon announced on Wednesday it will shutter its facilities in Quebec in the coming weeks and cut nearly 2,000 jobs, 1,700 of which are permanent positions.
A company spokesperson said Amazon will outsource deliveries to smaller contractors. The spokesperson insisted that the decision was tied to cost savings — not the recent unionization of about 300 employees at a Laval, Que., warehouse.
"Following a recent review of our Quebec operations," the spokesperson said in an emailed statement, "we found that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local small businesses, similar to the one we had until 2020, will enable us to offer the same excellent service and deliver even greater savings to our customers in the long term."
It was not immediately clear when Amazon would close its facilities, but the spokesperson told Radio-Canada it would happen in the "next two months."
A Quebec Employment Ministry spokesperson said Wednesday that Amazon Canada issued a notice of collective layoff affecting 1,997 employees across seven locations. Amazon also shared the layoff dates, which are as follows:Laval (DXT4): 287 employees, Feb. 8.
Saint-Hubert (HYU1): 38 employees, Feb. 8.
Lachine (DXT6): 319 employees, Feb. 8.
Laval (DXT5): 268 employees, Feb. 8.
Saint-Hubert (YUL5): 371 employees, Feb. 15.
Lachine (YUL2): 358 employees, March 15.
Coteau-du-Lac (YUL9): 356 employees, March 22.
Dozens of unionized Amazon employees in Laval, Que., participated in a demonstration of solidarity in December as talks continued between CSN and the company for the first collective agreement. (Rowan Kennedy/CBC)
Quebec is home to Amazon's only unionized workforce in Canada. Workers in Laval unionized last year, saying they were dissatisfied with what they described as a hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures.
Union denounces decision
The CSN, the union federation that represents the workers, released a statement denouncing the closures.
The union said it had learned of Amazon's decision to close its Quebec facilities early Wednesday when it received an email from an Amazon lawyer.
"This decision makes no sense whatsoever," CSN president Caroline Senneville said in a statement. "Neither from a business point of view, nor from an operational point of view. Amazon, one of the most integrated companies between the click of a mouse and home delivery, would entrust all its warehousing and distribution operations throughout Quebec to a third party?"
Quebec is home to Amazon's only unionized workforce in Canada. Workers in Laval unionized last year, saying they were dissatisfied with what they described as a hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures.
Union denounces decision
The CSN, the union federation that represents the workers, released a statement denouncing the closures.
The union said it had learned of Amazon's decision to close its Quebec facilities early Wednesday when it received an email from an Amazon lawyer.
"This decision makes no sense whatsoever," CSN president Caroline Senneville said in a statement. "Neither from a business point of view, nor from an operational point of view. Amazon, one of the most integrated companies between the click of a mouse and home delivery, would entrust all its warehousing and distribution operations throughout Quebec to a third party?"
The Amazon distribution facility in the Montreal borough of Lachine. 2024-02-19 (Charles Contant/CBC)
At the Amazon facility in Laval where workers had unionized, Nedim Sab, a supervisor, said workers were crying.
"What are we going to do now? We have to start over," he said. "I was a driver. Now I am a supervisor. Now they're going to erase everything for me."
He blamed the union for the closure. He said Amazon had been very unhappy about the unionization efforts and he said he didn't see the need for a union. His salary, he said, was over $23 per hour.
"I don't think this job needs to get unionized," he said. "Amazon is really not happy with the union. I don't know, it's so sad."
At the Amazon facility in Laval where workers had unionized, Nedim Sab, a supervisor, said workers were crying.
"What are we going to do now? We have to start over," he said. "I was a driver. Now I am a supervisor. Now they're going to erase everything for me."
He blamed the union for the closure. He said Amazon had been very unhappy about the unionization efforts and he said he didn't see the need for a union. His salary, he said, was over $23 per hour.
"I don't think this job needs to get unionized," he said. "Amazon is really not happy with the union. I don't know, it's so sad."
TimelineA brief history of Amazon in Quebec: A rapid expansion, and a union forms
Mahzad Shayegan, a dispatcher, said he and his colleagues had been told they were going to lose their jobs in two weeks. He said he would have to go on welfare.
"Looking for a job is not good now. It's not a good time," he said.
At a recent demonstration, the Laval workers said they were demanding $26 per hour, a $6 pay increase.
Amazon had said it was negotiating with the workers, but they had not yet reached a collective agreement.
The company opened its first facility in Quebec in 2020 in the borough of Lachine. It now has seven sites in Quebec, including sorting centres and warehouses. Most of them are in the Montreal area. One is in Coteau-du-Lac, about 60 kilometres west of the city.
WATCH | Here was the scene at a warehouse a month ago during contract negotiations:
Canada’s only Amazon workers’ union braces for 1st offer from employer
1 month ago
Duration1:45
After successfully unionizing in May of 2024, workers at an Amazon facility in Laval, Que., are expecting a first offer from the company in January after six months of negotiations and demands for wage increases.
In 2021, when Amazon announced five new facilities in Quebec, the company had said it was eager to expand its operations in the province, touting the need to respond to greater demand and speed up delivery times.
On Wednesday morning, workers at the facility in Lachine expressed shock and disappointment after learning of the company's decision.
"Nobody saw this coming," one worker said. "No idea what I'm going to do. I need time to digest this."
The spokesperson said the scaling back of its Quebec operations would result in the closure of all seven of its sites.
Employees will be given as much as 14 weeks' salary in severance, the company said.
Amazon became a $2 trillion company last year. It has facilities and thousands of employees across Canada.
Quebec labour laws possibly to blame, prof says
Mélanie Laroche, a professor at the Université de Montréal who specializes in the relationships between employers and unions, said Amazon's decision was not a surprise.
She said Quebec's labour laws are more restrictive on businesses than elsewhere.
Amazon currently recognizes one other union, in Staten Island, N.Y. But it has not yet reached a collective agreement with them.
In Quebec, by contrast, labour law would have obliged the two parties to negotiate a collective agreement and could have imposed arbitration on them.
"Amazon was probably confronted with that imminent arbitration demand for a first collective agreement and wouldn't have had a choice but to conclude a collective agreement," she said.
"They're deciding to close facilities in a province where, perhaps the labour laws are much more restrictive for management."
In 2021, when Amazon announced five new facilities in Quebec, the company had said it was eager to expand its operations in the province, touting the need to respond to greater demand and speed up delivery times.
On Wednesday morning, workers at the facility in Lachine expressed shock and disappointment after learning of the company's decision.
"Nobody saw this coming," one worker said. "No idea what I'm going to do. I need time to digest this."
The spokesperson said the scaling back of its Quebec operations would result in the closure of all seven of its sites.
Employees will be given as much as 14 weeks' salary in severance, the company said.
Amazon became a $2 trillion company last year. It has facilities and thousands of employees across Canada.
Quebec labour laws possibly to blame, prof says
Mélanie Laroche, a professor at the Université de Montréal who specializes in the relationships between employers and unions, said Amazon's decision was not a surprise.
She said Quebec's labour laws are more restrictive on businesses than elsewhere.
Amazon currently recognizes one other union, in Staten Island, N.Y. But it has not yet reached a collective agreement with them.
In Quebec, by contrast, labour law would have obliged the two parties to negotiate a collective agreement and could have imposed arbitration on them.
"Amazon was probably confronted with that imminent arbitration demand for a first collective agreement and wouldn't have had a choice but to conclude a collective agreement," she said.
"They're deciding to close facilities in a province where, perhaps the labour laws are much more restrictive for management."
Amazon workers strike at seven U.S. locations, alleging unfair treatment
Quebec Labour Minister Jean Boulet told reporters the government will provide support to the workers who lost their jobs to help them re-enter the labour market as quickly as possible. He said there are still labour shortages in some sectors and expressed optimism that the workers would be able to find new jobs.
He declined to comment on the reasons Amazon gave for closing its Quebec facilities.
Intelcom, a Montreal-based courier and package delivery company that Amazon subcontracts for deliveries, released a statement saying only that it would continue working with Amazon to "respond to their delivery needs in Quebec."
Federal Innovation Minister François-Philippe Champagne expressed "dismay and frustration" in a post on X on Wednesday.
"This is not the way business is done in Canada," he wrote.
Amazon's shares were up on Wednesday afternoon.
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