Image via CSN
The Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) in Quebec is denouncing an announcement by Amazon this past week that it will be closing all seven of its facilities in Quebec, laying off 1,700 permanent employees and outsourcing its work to third-party companies. The move is widely seen as an effort by the stridently anti-union corporate giant to prevent the further unionization of its facilities after workers at an Amazon warehouse in Laval, Que., successfully unionized last May. This was an historic victory for Canadian workers.
"This decision makes no sense," said CSN president Caroline Senneville. "Neither on a business level, nor on an operational level. Amazon, one of the companies best integrated between the click of a mouse and home delivery, would entrust all of its warehousing and distribution operations throughout Quebec to a third party?...This is the opposite of the model developed by Amazon."
Calling it a "slap in the face for all workers in Quebec," she continued "Since the beginning of our campaign three years ago, Amazon has done everything to prevent the unionization of its employees: fear campaigns, anti-union messages, challenges to the Labour Code, constructive dismissals... And today, we learn that the multinational prefers to withdraw from Quebec rather than respect its obligation to negotiate a collective agreement? This is totally unacceptable."
Given Amazon's stalling, the union was on the verge of filing a request for collective agreement arbitration, a provision provided for in the Quebec Labour Code, making the timing of closures highly suspect.
"There is no doubt that the closures announced today are part of an anti-union campaign against the CSN and Amazon employees. This is a gesture that is contrary to the provisions of the Labour Code, which we will firmly oppose. The CSN will never abandon its mission to unionize...and defend workers' rights, no matter what multinational stands in our way – and no matter what anti-union strategy is used. And we will support DXT4 employees in all the steps and challenges that will have to be undertaken in the coming days," Caroline Senneville said showing that the union intends to challenge the closures in court.
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