Workers can form union at Amazon warehouse in Laval, Que., a first in Canada

Quebec's labour tribunal has granted union accreditation to workers at an Amazon warehouse in Laval, marking the first such instance in Canada.

The employees at the DXT4 warehouse, situated in Laval, a suburb north of Montreal, had been working towards unionizing with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) for the past two years. The CSN submitted an application to Quebec's Administrative Labour Tribunal on April 19 to represent approximately 200 workers. The tribunal's decision was announced on Friday.

Caroline Senneville, the CSN's president, highlighted that the employees were unhappy with what they described as a demanding work pace, low wages, and insufficient health and safety measures. She deemed the accreditation "an important first step."

"These are individuals who genuinely need to improve their working conditions. Amazon is a multinational company… There are ways to ensure that those who work for it are not compromising their health, and that their labor is not considered expendable," Senneville stated.

"It's a model that exploits vulnerable workers, many of whom are immigrants."

Amazon has previously stated that it does not require employees to meet fixed productivity targets, asserting that it offers safe and inclusive workplaces, competitive wages, health benefits, and opportunities for career advancement.

The Laval warehouse workers' majority support for the union has led to its accreditation. Under Quebec law, the labour tribunal must certify a union even if the employer objects to part of the bargaining unit, provided a majority of workers support unionization.

The tribunal ruling indicated that Amazon had requested the exclusion of one group of employees from the accreditation, primarily supervisors who had not signed union cards. Ultimately, because the majority supported the union, around 10 additional employees than anticipated will be represented by the CSN, according to Senneville.

Before the tribunal's decision was announced, Amazon indicated its intention to challenge any union approval. A hearing is scheduled for June 10.

In a letter to the tribunal dated May 6, Amazon argued that the accreditation did not align with employees' interests and claimed that some workers were misled into signing union cards. The company also contended that certain aspects of Quebec's labour code conflict with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by using membership cards rather than a secret ballot vote.

"We believe that all individuals should have the right to inform themselves and vote according to their situation and convictions at the time," stated Barbara M. Agrait, an Amazon spokesperson.

"If a simple majority of employees at a company joins a union, representation becomes automatic for all employees—even those who were unaware of the unionization efforts," Agrait added.

Senneville of the CSN noted that Amazon's argument for a voting process rather than card signing is not new, emphasizing that the labour board has repeatedly upheld the legality of the current procedure.

"The right to unionize and associate with fellow workers is protected by both the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," Senneville said. "Amazon's attempt to introduce a vote is aimed at pressuring employees against unionizing."

The CSN is now poised to proceed with appointing a president and drafting bylaws in preparation for negotiating a collective agreement, regardless of Amazon's challenge. Senneville expressed readiness for a legal battle.

In June 2022, the CSN filed a complaint with the labour board against another Amazon warehouse in Montreal's Lachine borough, alleging that anti-union posters were used to dissuade employees from signing union cards. Similar posters were reportedly seen at the DXT4 warehouse.

Agrait affirmed that Amazon employees have the right to choose whether or not to join a union, although the company believes unions are not the best option for their employees.

Barry Eidlin, an associate professor of sociology at McGill University specializing in labour policy, suggested that significant improvements in working conditions may take time.

"This is just one fulfillment center in a vast global network, so it will take more than one warehouse unionizing to affect significant changes in wages and working conditions at Amazon," he said. "We can expect Amazon to resist every step of the way."

Eidlin noted that while this development is a promising start, achieving meaningful improvements will require expanding union efforts to more warehouses. "It will take many more warehouses organizing to achieve substantial leverage," he said.