Unions in Canada launch organizing campaign at Amazon, starting in Nisku, Alberta

dossier

“Teamsters Local 362 requested a vote on union representation at the Amazon YEG 1 Fulfillment Center in Nisku, AB. This is the first step in the Teamsters Canada union's organizing campaign to bring Amazon to the bargaining table. "Amazon will not change without a union. Whether it's job security, work pace, discrimination, favoritism or wages, the company has proven that it is deeply anti-worker. (…)The Alberta Labor Relations Board (ALRB) must first review the application. Once this happens, all Amazon workers in YEG 1 who have been employed since yesterday will have the opportunity to vote on representation by Teamsters Local Union 362…” This is how the English begins.Notice dated September 14, 2021 to Teamster Canada , see the further development:

• Under pressure from the Unifor union – and apparently out of fear of collective agreements at all locations – Amazon is increasing all wages in Canada
  “Facing pressure from the first collective bargaining agreement soon to be granted to workers at its YVR2 site in Delta, British Columbia, Amazon has announced a sudden pay increase for all of its Canadian locations - similar to Walmart in 2024.
  "It's time for Amazon to realize that if it wants to operate in Canada, it must respect the rights of the very workers it employs. We will keep up the pressure so that workers across Canada benefit from the gains of collective bargaining," said Lana Payne, national chair of Unifor.
  The wage increase announced today coincides almost exactly with the impending conclusion of the arbitration process ordered by the British Columbia Labor Relations Board. After months of delays and objections from Amazon, Unifor was forced to seek an initial collective bargaining agreement through binding arbitration. (Read more about Amazon's series of illegal and inappropriate tactics in British Columbia .)
  "Wage increases are just one part of the picture. A union gives workers a voice - not only in their wages and benefits, but also in improving health and safety conditions and combating the notoriously dangerous work speeds for which Amazon is known worldwide," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's regional director for the West. “Only if we use the strength of a union together can we eliminate the systemic grievances at Amazon.”…” EnglishReport from September 16, 2026 to the Unifor union (machine translated) – see information about Delta here below:
• Amazon warehouse workers in Delta, Canada, have received union certification from Unifor following a ruling by the provincial labor board over company interference
  “Amazon warehouse workers in Delta, British Columbia have received union certification after theLabor Department the provincesided with Unifor and found that the company had interfered in the unionization process. This landmark decision not only ensures union representation for workers in Canada, but could also impact organizing efforts at Amazon locations around the world.
  “Amazon workers organized under very difficult conditions, but they defeated the giant,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “This ruling sends a clear message to companies that intimidating workers will only end up backfiring.  
  The British Columbia Industrial Relations Commission ruled that Amazon's actions during the organizing campaign at its YVR5 branch, including a rapid hiring increase and anti-union messaging, affected the fairness of the vote. As a result, the authority granted automatic certification under the province's labor law. This ruling makes the Delta warehouse the first Amazon facility in Canada to have union representation. (…)
  The Delta certification follows an earlier attempt at a plant in Laval, Quebec, where workers voted to unionize. Amazon later retaliated by closing the warehouse.
  The Unifor union, which represents private sector workers across Canada, said it would begin preparations to negotiate an initial collective agreement…”Report from July 14, 2025 from the UNI Global Union (“Historic Victory: Canada Allows Amazon Union After Ruling on Company Interference”)
• The CSN union's lawsuit against Amazon in the Quebec Labor Court over the closure of seven warehouses has begun
  “A Quebec labor tribunal has begun hearing a case against Amazon involving the e-commerce giant's closure of seven warehouses in the province in January.
  About 1,700 workers lost their jobs after Amazon suddenly closed its warehouse locations in Quebec, months after workers at a Montreal-area facility unionized with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN). In a press release, the CSN union says it is asking the court to overturn Amazon's decision to close the seven centers and force the company to pay all 1,700 employees an annual salary. According to CSN, Amazon has asked the court to exclude the six non-union warehouses and limit the hearing to the 287 union workers at the Laval, Que., facility.
  Amazon did not immediately respond to a request for comment but said the closures were about providing efficient and cost-effective services to customers and not a response to the union campaign. A union spokesman says hearings will be held at irregular intervals over the next few months.”Reported by The Canadian Press on Global News on May 16, 2025 (English)
• In addition to various legal steps against the closure of the Amazon warehouses in Quebec, there are now calls for a national boycott of Amazon in Canada
  • Amazon union Laval calls for national boycott
    “Unionized Laval Amazon warehouse workers are calling for a national boycott in response to the closure of 7 Amazon locations in Quebec.” EnglishVideo from 2/28/25 at kitchener.citynews.ca 
  • Amazon boycott: press briefing by Caroline Senneville – and moreVideos on the CSN homepage 
  • Quebec union plans legal action against Amazon over closures
    ""This is not the way we do business in Quebec,” says CSN president
    The union representing workers at an Amazon warehouse that closed last month is calling for a boycott and preparing a lawsuit against the company. Caroline Senneville, leader of the CSN union, held a press conference this morning flanked by workers to denounce the retail giant's actions. She said the company's closures in Quebec were a clear attempt to avoid signing a collective bargaining agreement for the first time in North America. "It's clear to us that Amazon's move is deeply anti-union," Senneville said: "This is not the way we do business in Quebec. This is not the way we do business in Canada"..." EnglishArticle by Benjamin Shingler from 2/4/25 in CBC (machine translated)
  • Labor board to enforce union at Amazon's Delta warehouse
    “Unifor accuses the company of violating the law with aggressive anti-organization measures. Amazon's efforts to block an organizing campaign at its Delta warehouse were so unfair that the union should be automatically certified, Unifor Local 114 told the BC Labor Relations Board last week…” EnglishArticle by Isaac Phan Nay from February 25, 2025 in The Tyee (machine translated) with a comprehensive presentation of the arguments from both sides
  • Amazon: Labor arbitrator assigned to negotiations at unionized warehouse in Laval
    ""Despite Amazon's intention to close its warehouses in Quebec and hand over all of its operations to subcontractors, a labor arbitrator will have to rule on an initial collective agreement for the 287 unionized workers at the DXT4 warehouse in Laval. The Ministry of Labor referred the negotiations to the Arbitration Tribunal for the first collective agreement last Friday after the arbitrator submitted a report concluding that negotiations between the parties had reached an impasse. The report followed a request from the union to use this mechanism provided for in the Labor Code when negotiating an initial collective agreement…” French.Report from February 24, 2025 from the CSN (machine translated)
  • Amazon: CSN asks court to order warehouses to reopen
    “The CSN is asking the court to order the resumption of operations in the seven warehouses affected by the lawsuit and to pay each employee over one year's salary in compensation, in addition to moral and exemplary damages…” French.Report from February 21, 2025 from the CSN (machine translated)
• Amazon is closing all 7 warehouses in Quebec to stop unionization - Walmart Canada failed with this strategy in 2014, even without the current boycott campaign
  • CSN strongly condemns Amazon's wild closures in Quebec
    “The CSN reminds that the work that should lead to a first collective agreement is progressing in the DXT4 warehouse despite the blockades by Amazon.
    The CSN and the union representing the 300 workers at the DXT4 center in Laval learned early this morning, through a simple email from an Amazon lawyer, of the permanent closure of all Amazon warehouses and the company's intention to hand over all of its operations in Quebec to subcontractors.
    “This decision makes no sense,” said CSN President Caroline Senneville. "Neither from a business nor from an operational perspective. Amazon, one of the most integrated companies between mouse clicks and home delivery, would entrust its entire warehouse and distribution operations throughout Quebec to a third party? There are limits if we are considered idiots. This is the exact opposite of the model developed by Amazon." In fact, recalls the CSN leader, Quebec's only special feature is that it has an officially accredited union, the only one in Canada. (…) "There is no doubt that the closures announced today are part of an anti-union campaign against CSN and Amazon workers. This is a move that violates the provisions of the Labor Code and which we will fight vigorously…” French. Press release from the CSN union from January 22, 2025 (machine translated)
  • Unifor condemns Amazon's closure of warehouses in Quebec
    “Unifor condemns Amazon's decision to close seven warehouses in Quebec. The union also reiterates its support for the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), which has advocated for better conditions for unionized Amazon workers in Quebec. "This is exactly what happens when companies can do whatever they want without a framework or truly effective labor law. Decisions based solely on profit are too often made to the detriment of workers. This is anti-union behavior that should never be allowed in our country," said Lana Payne, Unifor's national president…” EnglishPress release from the Unifor union dated January 22, 2025 (machine translated) – see also:
    • Unifor says Amazon workers in Windsor, Ont., have expressed interest in unionizing — the Delta vote still unknown
      “The delivery station in the border town opened in the fall with about 70 employees (…) Unifor says Amazon workers in Windsor, Ontario have expressed interest in unionizing (…) Unifor's Justin Gniposky says the vast majority of Amazon workers are not part of a union, but that the union movement is working to change that - including at the Windsor site: "Workers have reached out to us there, as they have at other sites in southwestern Ontario and in the province in general to find out what the process is,” he said. “A lot of this is relatively new to a lot of these workers.” (…)
      Unifor's attempts to unionize workers at the Amazon factory in Delta, B.C., are ongoing and are being pursued by the province's labor relations commission: "They're spending a lot of resources on this," Gniposky said.” EnglishReport from January 23, 2025 in CBC News 
  • Amazon closure in Quebec: 1,459 more layoffs in the delivery service
    “Amazon's decision to close its facilities in Quebec will ultimately result in the loss of almost 3,500 jobs. The Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity said on Thursday that it had received notices of 1,459 additional layoffs from Delivery Service Partners (DSP), small companies that make deliveries for Amazon. (…)The company told Radio Canada that it had decided to return to “a model of third-party delivery, supported by small local businesses, similar to the one we had until 2020.” In addition, the US multinational company said it was offering affected employees up to 14 weeks of continued pay after the facilities were closed…” French.Report from January 24, 2025 in Radio-Canada (machine translated)
  • Amazon actions in Quebec are “shameful,” says UNI Hoffman
    “The following statement on Amazon's decision to leave Quebec comes from Christy Hoffman, Secretary General of UNI Global Union: "It is a disgrace that Amazon has decided to close its warehouses in Quebec instead of going to the bargaining table. The company wants to discourage workers around the world from unionizing. But this desperate move will only draw more attention to the fact that Amazon - just like in Germany and New York - will take desperate measures to avoid negotiations. Workers and their allies everywhere The world is watching and will fight back. This fight is not just about the 1,700 jobs lost in Quebec - it is about defending the dignity of work everywhere…” EnglishReport from 01/23/25 at UNI Global Union (machine translated)
  • Union Busting at Amazon: The US internet company is closing all locations in Quebec to prevent union organizing
    “The events in the Canadian province of Quebec show that Jeff Bezos is an unscrupulous profiteer. The online retail group Amazon will close its seven locations here in the next two months. 1,700 permanent and 250 temporary employees will be laid off in one fell swoop. The closures in Lachine, Longueuil, Coteau-du-Lac and Laval include a warehouse, two sorting centers, three delivery stations and a shipping center for large items such as televisions and furniture. Liberal Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne condemned the plans, saying it was "not the way we do business in Canada." The Amazon warehouse in Laval is the only one in Canada that is unionized. All locations are to be closed by March 22nd…”Article by Max Ongsiek in the young world from January 25th, 2025 
  • Why a unionized warehouse in Quebec posed a threat to Amazon
    “The decision to close facilities in Quebec could lead to legal challenges under the province's labor laws
    Last May, around 230 workers at an Amazon warehouse in Laval, Queensland, successfully unionized - a historic first in Canada for the retail giant. CSN, the union representing Laval workers, said workers were dissatisfied with what they described as a hectic pace of work, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures. Amazon has only one other unionized workforce in North America, in Staten Island, New York. She was certified in 2022 but still does not have a contract. In Quebec, the province's stricter labor laws soon forced the two parties to negotiate a collective agreement or forced them into arbitration if they failed to reach an agreement, experts said. "I think what's essentially happened here is that the clock has ticked down on an initial collective bargaining agreement," said Adam King, an assistant professor in the labor studies program at the University of Manitoba. “Amazon had tried to challenge the certification of this bargaining unit in Quebec and lost,” King said, and a collective bargaining agreement could have resulted in the union expanding to other locations in the province. (…)
    The Amazon case is reminiscent of another dispute 20 years ago in Quebec involving Walmart Canada. In 2004, the company closed a store in Jonquière, Quebec, citing profitability problems, just months after workers received union certification. The Unifor union, which represents workers, challenged the move. In 2014, the Supreme Court of Canada found the company violated Quebec labor laws when it closed following a unionization effort. Barry Eidlin, an associate professor of sociology at McGill University, said closing the Amazon warehouse in Laval after the 2014 decision would have been a clear violation of Quebec labor law.
    That would be “a unilateral change in working conditions at a time when collective bargaining should actually be taking place,” said Eidlin. However, experts say the CSN is likely to challenge Amazon in court. “For now, the best option is to file an unfair labor practice claim and see how it turns out,” King said…” EnglishArticle by Benjamin Shingler from January 25, 2025 in CBC News (machine translated)
  • Calls for a boycott of Amazon are growing after the online retail giant pulled out of Quebec
    “A day after the American online retail giant announced it would pull out of the province and lay off hundreds of employees, Quebecers are calling for a boycott of Amazon. Some Quebecers say they've had enough of Amazon: "It doesn't help the Canadian economy at all, let alone the Quebec economy. That's why I'm trying to avoid it," one person told CTV News on Thursday. On social media, the discussion surrounding the boycott also sheds light on the CSN union's claims that the layoffs were a response to the formation of a union at a warehouse in Laval: "This is a small act we can do to show that we support good working conditions, that we support the right to unionize and, above all, that we reject Amazon's arrogance to just come and do whatever they please," said Louisa Worrell, a spokeswoman for boycottamazon.ca, told CTV News…” EnglishArticle by Matt Gilmour from January 23, 2025 in CTV News with video (machine translated)
    • boycottamazon.ca onlyon Insta found, but there is rain #boycottamazon also on bsky
    • Quebecers are already boycotting Amazon as layoffs reach 3,000 employees “We will not sit back and do nothing!”
      “…However, a new report from CBC suggests the number of affected workers will now be more than 3,500. This updated number also includes small business employees with contracts to deliver packages on behalf of Amazon. Following this announcement, a social media movement called “Ici, on boycott Amazon” gained momentum. The campaign reflects growing dissatisfaction among Quebecers and aims to encourage support for local businesses as an alternative to corporations. "Jeff Bezos, Amazon's top boss, is one of the richest men in the world. He spits on Quebec, our workers and our working conditions," a spokesperson for the movement wrote in a recent Instagram post highlighting the group's demands. "Amazon is showing bosses everywhere that it is possible to overrun us. This affects not just Amazon workers, but all of Quebec. We will not sit back and do nothing! Quebec is a market with 9 million customers, Canada has over 40 million. If we stand up to the American oligarchs, we can win!" (…) Several boycott organizers handed out leaflets at a Montreal metro station on Thursday calling on Quebecers to cancel their Amazon subscriptions and spread the word about the movement.
      In a message to MTL Blog, André-Philippe Doré, a spokesman for the group, said the boycotters want Amazon to keep its warehouses in Quebec open. However, if they are to be shut down, they are demanding the following: Suspension of all Amazon operations in Quebec (including AWS, data centers, etc.). Expropriation of the closed warehouses. Repay all public subsidies Amazon received. One year of salary and insurance for the laid off workers. Free training for these workers…” EnglishArticle by Al Sciola from January 24, 2025 in MTL Blog (machine translated)
  • Amazon is leaving Quebec - good thing we're rid of him
    “Instead of respecting Quebec workers' right to unionize, Amazon did exactly what you'd expect from a company that essentially forces its drivers to urinate in bottles: They quit. Good thing we got rid of her. Quebec should be proud that Amazon wants nothing to do with us, and their anti-union stance tells us everything we need to know about them. I'm truly sorry that 1,700 employees will be unemployed, but it's ultimately for the best. As convenient as Amazon is, it's terrible for cities, and that will force people to favor local businesses. That's good for everyone.As we saw at Trump's inauguration, Jeff Bezos enjoys colluding with sociopaths and fascists. It's comforting to know that he won't be getting any more money from us. But he has received tens of millions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies from the Quebec government, and that money is ours.“EnglishComment by Taylor C. Noakes on January 23, 2025 in Cult MTL (machine translated) – my favorite comment!
• Canada: Amazon in Delta will vote on forming a union with Unifor between May 28 and May 31, 2024
  “Workers at Amazon's Delta plant can vote this week on whether to join Canada's largest private sector union after the B.C. Labor Relations Board (BCLRB) decided on Unifor's application on May 27, 2024.
  “The power of union representation is within reach for Amazon workers at Delta,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “The best way to have a strong voice in the workplace is to vote to join our union and send a clear collective message to the employer.” After hundreds of workers at the plant signed confidential union cards, Unifor applied to the BCLRB for recognition of the union. After a hearing yesterday, the authority ordered a confidential vote. Voting will take place between May 28th at 3:00 p.m. PT and May 31st at 12:00 p.m. A simple majority of votes cast makes Unifor their official negotiating agent.
  “Thousands of warehouse workers across Canada are already represented by Unifor and enjoy the higher wages, expanded benefits and job security of a union,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle. “Amazon workers deserve a union.”
  In April 2022, workers at an Amazon facility at the JFK8 distribution center on Staten Island, New York, formed a union for the first time, and more recently, workers at the DXT4 warehouse in Laval, QC, joined…” EnglishUnifor report from May 28, 2024 (machine translated)
• Unifor union applies for recognition in two Amazon centers in Vancouver, Canada 
  “The campaign to form a union for workers at Amazon facilities in Metro Vancouver reached a crucial stage today, after Unifor filed two motions with the B.C. Labor Relations Board (BCLRB).
  “Amazon workers strive for job security, better health and safety, and fair wages,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Establishing a democratic union in your workplace is the path to better working conditions.”
  After the BCLRB processes the application, it will determine whether a vote needs to be held. If the cards submitted by Unifor represent at least 45% of a company's eligible voting workforce, a vote can take place within five business days. If the cards represent more than 55%, union certification is granted and work on an initial collective agreement begins.“We call on Amazon to respect the wishes of workers and not use the legal tricks and games it has played in the past to block unionization,” said Gavin McGarrigle, regional director of Unifor Western. “Unions are good for workers, and Amazon is no different.”
  Applications for the fulfillment centers at 109 Braid Street in New Westminster and 450 Derwent Place in Delta were submitted today. Unifor's awareness campaign at Amazon facilities began on June 21, 2023. Card signing began on October 19, 2023.In April 2022, employees at an Amazon facility in the “JFK8” distribution center on Staten Island, New York, founded a union for the first time.
  Unifor is Canada's largest private sector union, representing 315,000 workers across all major sectors of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives for progressive change for a better future.” EnglishUnifor report from April 10, 2024 (machine translated)
• Teamsters submit a second certification application to Amazon in Canada - now in Calgary
  “Teamsters Local Union 987 today filed for certification to represent workers at Amazon Fulfillment Center YYC 1 near Calgary Airport. The Alberta Labor Relations Board (ALRB) will review the certification application and decide at a later date whether to hold a vote to determine whether these workers should be represented by the Teamsters Union.
  This is the second certification application for Amazon workers in Alberta. On September 13, 2021, Teamsters Local Union 362 applied to the ALRB for certification for Amazon's YEG 1 warehouse in Nisku. The union is now waiting for the committee's decision. This motion was the first step in the Canadian Teamsters campaign to unionize workers at the American company.
  “Amazon employees tell us that job security, work pace, discrimination and favoritism are major concerns for them,” said François Laporte, president of Teamsters Canada. “We have the resources and ability to end these injustices, and that’s why these workers chose the Teamsters.”
  For some time now, news reports have confirmed Amazon workers' complaints. More and more people are questioning the company's working practices and the apparent unequal treatment of some of its employees. Some of them in Calgary have also reported that the employer has held small meetings to say it knows who signed union cards.
  Teamsters Local Union 987 has filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the ALRB related to Amazon's inappropriate use of security guards since the Teamsters began its organizing campaign and is likely to file another complaint as the employer continues to act illegally.
  It is well known that former Amazon workers who now blog on social media have reported that promotions are left to the discretion of managers, who may or may not be competent. In addition, 10 to 12 hour shifts are not conducive to balancing work and family life. Productivity is strictly measured, making a bathroom break a luxury workers cannot afford. Not to mention the fact that it would be almost impossible for her to sit down during her shift…” EnglishReport from Stéphanie Meunier from October 19, 2021 to Teamsters Canada (machine translated)

Basic information:

• See thisCampaign page by Teamsters Canada-AMAZON Workers
• #YouAreNotAlone – AMAZON NEEDS A UNION!

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