CSN calls for Amazon boycott

MONTRÉAL, Feb. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - Amazon's decision to close its seven warehouses in Québec and outsource operations has one and only one purpose: to shut down the current unionization effort and avoid signing its first collective agreement in North America, says the CSN.

"They're not fooling anyone," said CSN president Caroline Senneville. "The only reason for Amazon to have a different business model just for Québec is that there's a union here and an arbitrator could have imposed a first collective agreement as early as the summer of 2025."

In view of Amazon's blatant union-busting motives, which violate several sections of Québec's Labour Code, the CSN is urging the federal and provincial governments, municipalities, and all public and parapublic agencies to stop buying from Amazon and to cancel all contracts with Amazon and its subsidiaries, including cloud services. The CSN believes those dollars should go to local businesses instead.

The CSN is also calling on the public to boycott Amazon by not shopping on its online platform and cancelling Amazon Prime subscriptions.

The public and political figures are invited to show their support for the 4,500 laid-off workers (both Amazon and subcontractors) by attending a demonstration against Amazon's actions in Montréal on February 15.

"A company that flouts our laws shouldn't be allowed to do business here, let alone receive public contracts," said Caroline Senneville. "Many local businesses have been hard hit by the upheaval in the retail sector caused by Amazon's arrival in Québec. Now more than 4,500 people have lost their jobs. It's time to take a stand against Amazon's repeated offences and support our own businesses. Let's stop buying from Amazon and start buying locally instead."

The CSN's 1,600 affiliated unions will be encouraged to support the boycott by investigating whether their employers have contracts with Amazon and, if so, pressuring them to stop doing business with Amazon.

For more information, visit www.csn.qc.ca/amazon-en/

Legal remedies

Legal action will also be taken in the coming days. In light of the anti-union agenda behind Amazon's ruthless actions, the CSN will petition the court to annul the mass layoff and order the reopening of the seven warehouses, the reinstatement of the 1,700 Amazon employees, and the payment of compensation and damages.

"The closures announced by Amazon aren't true closures in the legal sense, since Amazon plans to continue selling its products to Quebecers online," Caroline Senneville pointed out. "Amazon thinks it can just shift the work to other corporate entities and outsource some warehousing and delivery operations. What it calls its 'new business model' is just an attempt to circumvent its obligations under the Labour Code. The court should recognize that this scheme violates the law and it can then order the reinstatement of Amazon's workers."

It should be noted that a request for first contract arbitration was filed with the Minister of Labour last week in connection with the negotiations at DXT4, Amazon's only unionized warehouse in Canada. Despite the announced closure of the DXT4 facility in Laval, issues such as retroactive pay and recall rights in the event of reopening must be settled, the CSN maintains.

Background

On April 19, 2024, the CSN filed an application with the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT) to represent the 230 employees at Amazon's DXT4 warehouse on Ernest-Cormier St. in Laval. In the preceding weeks, many workers had signed union cards. On May 10, the ALT officially certified the union, recognizing that a majority of employees had joined. Bargaining for a first collective agreement began in July. 

The ALT has found Amazon guilty of anti-union interference and obstruction at the YUL2 warehouse in Lachine and is currently hearing a similar case concerning Amazon's actions at the DXT4 warehouse in Laval.

About the CSN

Founded in 1921, the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) represents 330,000 workers in the public and private sectors in all regions of Québec and across Canada.

SOURCE CSN - Confédération des syndicats nationaux

Information: François L'Écuyer, CSN Communications Department, Cell: 514-949-8973, [email protected]