Amazon has shuttered its seven facilities in Quebec, Canada, leaving thousands of employees without jobs. The closure marks a return to a business model Amazon previously utilized in the province until 2020. Nearly 2,000 Amazon jobs are being cut, with total layoffs reaching approximately 4,500 when subcontracted workers are included.
Félix Trudeau, president of the union representing workers at Amazon's Laval warehouse, has called for a boycott of the retail giant. The union demands that Amazon either reopens its facilities or compensates laid-off employees with one year's salary and benefits. Trudeau confirmed the recent closure of three Montreal area warehouses, including his own, late Friday night. He accused Amazon of retaliating against unionized workers by closing these sites.
Some employees arrived for their shifts only to find the warehouses closed. A fourth warehouse in Montreal shut down earlier this week, ahead of its scheduled closure in March. These sudden closures have provoked widespread reactions from local authorities and organizations.
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced on X that the City of Montreal would halt all orders from Amazon "until further notice." The city's actions align with other governmental and labor group responses, including the Confédération des syndicats nationaux, which has also voiced opposition to Amazon's decisions.
Protesters took action by occupying an Intelcom office in Montreal's Anjou borough. Intelcom, set to become a major Amazon subcontractor in Quebec, faces criticism over working conditions. Benoît Dumais, participating in the protest, explained their stance:
"We were there to denounce Amazon but also expose that Intelcom is going to be the subcontractors and their working conditions are also very poor, so we’re still in the same logic of very cheap labour-intensive work," – Benoît Dumais
Despite the protest drawing 20 to 30 demonstrators, no arrests occurred. Intelcom has responded by asserting its commitment to employee growth and flexible work environments.
"has always been committed to providing a flexible work environment and growth opportunities for all its employees." – Intelcom
Amazon, for its part, denies any link between the closures and unionization efforts. The company maintains the decision aims to optimize service delivery efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
"We want there to be consequences for Amazon’s anti-union, anti-Quebec actions. We want the government at the different levels of government — municipal, provincial and federal — not only to stop buying from Amazon but to stop supporting Amazon’s behaviour by cutting their contracts with Amazon and all of its affiliates," – Félix Trudeau
