Amazon recently made the decision to close several of its warehouses in Quebec, resulting in the elimination of at least 1,700 permanent jobs. The giant e-commerce retailer claims that this move is part of a broader strategy to “deliver even more savings to our customers in the long run.” But some are questioning this: several workers, labor experts, and unions believe that these closures may be part of a broader strategy to stop unionization. After all, one of the affected facilities had recently voted to unionize, the first such successful vote to unionize at an Amazon facility in Canada. The timing raises concerns that Amazon might be sending a message to other locations beyond Quebec: Unionize at your own risk.

While Amazon denies any link between the closures and the recent unionization of one of its warehouses in Quebec and has offered a severance package for those affected — including up to 14 weeks of pay and transitional benefits — the reality is that over 1,700 workers are now left without jobs. In addition, Amazon plans to move to a subcontracting model, transferring its delivery operations to local third-party contractors, rather than directly employing its workforce, thereby avoiding the unionization efforts...

By outsourcing delivery services, Amazon is choosing immediate profit maximization by avoiding the responsibility of directly employing workers. While the approach may reduce labor costs in the short run, it overlooks the obvious long-term benefits of investing in its workforce such as reduced turnover, better service quality, and enhanced delivery efficiency....

Amazon has a long history of preventing unionization. In 2022, the company spent over $14 million on anti-union consultants, nearly $10 million more than the previous year. In 2023, a judge ruled that Amazon supervisors had illegally threatened to withhold wages and benefits from workers who voted to unionize....