Hearing on the closure of seven Quebec warehouses presented before The TAT
Amazon's shocking move to shut down seven of its warehouses in Quebec has set the stage for a legal showdown with the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN) union.
The abrupt closure, which took place back in January, left around 1700 employees jobless. This devastating blow came just a few months after workers at a Laval plant affiliated with the CSN unionized.
In a hard-hitting statement released last Thursday, the CSN is pushing for the Administrative Labour Tribunal to reverse Amazon's decision to shutter the seven centers and force the tech giant to fork over more than a year's salary in damages for each employee, along with moral and punitive damages.
Amazon, on the other hand, has maintained that its decision to close these warehouses was a business move aimed at streamlining operations for optimal customer service. Steve Kelly, Amazon's spokesperson, asserted that employees were given a severance package equaling up to 14 weeks' pay, in addition to various transition benefits such as job placement services.
However, the CSN remains steadfast in their argument that the unionization campaigns that were disrupted in other warehouses saw the rights of workers violated due to these unexpected closures. They believe that this decision, from a business perspective, makes no sense.
As the dust settles, the hearings will unfold intermittently over the next few months, with the Administrative Labour Tribunal's decision hanging in the balance. The outcome of these proceedings will offer much-needed clarity regarding the legality of Amazon's actions and the compensation to be provided to the affected workers.
The legality of Amazon's move to close the non-unionized warehouses is under intense scrutiny. The CSN union is arguing in front of the Quebec labour tribunal that Amazon should not have shut down the warehouses. The union is seeking an overturn of the decision and for Amazon to compensate all the affected workers with a year's salary[1][2].
However, Amazon maintains that the closures were part of their strategy to deliver efficient and cost-effective services to customers, not in response to the unionization efforts[2]. The tribunal is yet to decide if the non-unionized warehouses will be included in the hearings, with Amazon seeking to limit the scope to just the unionized facility in Laval[1][2].
The remuneration for the affected workers is at the heart of the tribunal proceedings. The CSN is aiming for a year's salary for all the 1700 workers who lost their jobs due to the closures[1][2]. Amazon has yet to provide specific details regarding the compensation packages for the non-unionized workers beyond the standard legal requirements, and the tribunal's ruling will determine if additional compensation is in order.
[1] Enrichment Data - Sources: - Macdonald, T. (2022, January 21). Cronies vs. Workers: Amazon's Toxic Chemistry in Unionizing Efforts. Montreal Gazette. - Stea, M. (2022, January 21). Amazon's Quebec Warehouse Closure: What We Know. CBC.ca.
[2] Enrichment Data - Keypoints: - The CSN union claims that Amazon violated the rights of workers by closing the warehouses during unionization efforts. - Steve Kelly, Amazon's spokesperson, argued that the closures were aimed at streamlining operations for customer service, not in response to unionization efforts. - The Administrative Labour Tribunal is yet to decide if it will include non-unionized warehouses in the hearings, with Amazon seeking to limit the scope to only the unionized facility in Laval. - The compensation for the affected workers is a central issue in the tribunal proceedings, with the CSN seeking a year's salary for all workers, and Amazon yet to provide specific details regarding compensation for non-unionized workers beyond the standard legal requirements.
The CSN union is advocating for the Administrative Labour Tribunal to demand Amazon reopen the shuttered warehouses and pay more than a year's salary in damages for each employee, as well as moral and punitive damages. Despite Amazon's claim that the warehouse closures were a business decision to enhance operational efficiency for customer service, the CSN contends that this move was an attempt to disrupt unionization efforts in the non-unionized warehouses.
