Earlier this Wednesday, January 22, Amazon announced the closure of its seven Quebec warehouses, including the one located at 80 Léon-Malouin Street in the Alta Industrial Park in Coteau-du-Lac. Regional Members of Parliament Marilyne Picard and Claude DeBellefeuille have reacted to the news in the past few minutes.

The announcement has taken many by surprise. Claude DeBellefeuille, federal MP for Salaberry-Suroît, did not hesitate to call Amazon and its CEO Jeff Bezos’s behavior deplorable.

“I stand in solidarity with the workers of the Coteau-du-Lac warehouse who are losing their jobs, and my thoughts are also with their families. Amazon and Mr. Bezos's behavior is deplorable: the company is clearly resisting workers' collective representation, which raises serious concerns for the future of labor relations in Quebec. More than ever, I encourage people to support local suppliers and increase their purchases from merchants in Salaberry-Suroît and throughout Quebec.”

Soulanges MP Marilyne Picard also expressed her support for affected employees. “As my colleague, Employment Minister Kateri Champagne Jourdain, mentioned, a reclassification assistance committee will be set up,” she told Néomédia.

Kristin Gable, Amazon’s spokesperson, stated by phone that approximately 1,700 employees across Quebec have been offered severance packages, including up to 14 weeks of pay following the warehouse closures. “We are also providing transitional benefits, such as external job relocation resources,” added Ms. Gable.

Although no specific dates were provided, Ms. Gable confirmed that the closures would occur within the next two months. “We are entering a transition period that will last two months. It is important to note that during this time, Amazon will continue operating its warehouses to support its customers.”

Barbara Agrait, another Amazon spokesperson, explained in a statement sent to Néomédia: “Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we found that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by small local businesses, similar to what we had in 2020, will allow us to offer the same excellent service while achieving long-term savings for our customers.”

CSN Outraged

Caroline Senneville, president of the CSN (Confederation of National Trade Unions), firmly believes the closures are part of an anti-union campaign targeting the CSN and Amazon employees.

“This is an act that violates the provisions of the Labor Code, which we will vigorously contest. The CSN will never abandon its mission to unionize workers and defend their rights, regardless of the multinational company standing in our way – or the anti-union strategy it uses,” she declared.

It’s worth noting that the Amazon warehouse in Laval was the only unionized location.

“This is a slap in the face to all workers in Quebec,” continued Ms. Senneville. “Since the beginning of our campaign three years ago, Amazon has done everything to block unionization efforts: fear campaigns, anti-union messages, challenges to the Labor Code, disguised dismissals... And today, we learn that the multinational prefers to leave Quebec rather than fulfill its obligation to negotiate a collective agreement? This is utterly unacceptable.”

Amazon, however, denies that employee unionization in Laval is the cause of its departure.

“This is about delivering the best possible service to customers in an efficient and cost-effective manner,” said Barbara Agrait, Amazon spokesperson, in a written statement to CTV News. “We have been using third-party carriers in Quebec for many years. Returning to a proven third-party model will enable us to deliver the same quality service while achieving additional long-term savings for our customers.”

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Amazon announces closure of Quebec warehouses, including Coteau-du-Lac