Amazon announced on January 22, 2025, that it would close all seven of its Quebec warehouses over roughly two months and shift package delivery to local third-party companies. Amazon said the move followed an operational review and was intended to deliver the same service with greater long-term savings—not to respond to unionization. The union representing workers at Amazon’s Laval warehouse disputed that explanation and alleged the closures were meant to avoid collective bargaining. The available reports document both positions but do not establish Amazon’s actual motive.
What Amazon announced
Amazon said it planned to close all seven of its Quebec facilities, with closures expected over approximately two months. The company said it would return to a delivery model using local third-party businesses, a model it had used in Quebec before 2020. Amazon’s stated rationale was that this approach could maintain service while producing greater savings over the long term. Associated Press reported the announcement and Amazon’s explanation; Global News also reported Amazon’s denial that the closures were union-based.
Which facilities were included?
The seven sites comprised one fulfilment centre, two sorting centres, three delivery stations, and one AMXL facility for large items such as televisions and furniture, according to the Associated Press account.
How many jobs were affected?
Amazon’s announcement, as reported by the Associated Press, put the impact at about 1,700 permanent full-time jobs and 250 temporary jobs. Those are the reported positions affected by the planned closures; they do not measure any later employment effects at third-party delivery businesses.
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Why the new union is part of the story
Workers at Amazon’s Laval warehouse unionized in May 2024, becoming the first Amazon warehouse workforce in Canada to do so. Amazon challenged the union’s right to represent the workers, but a provincial labour tribunal rejected that challenge in October 2024, according to the Associated Press. Amazon announced the Quebec closures about three months later.
The timing put the company’s operational explanation in direct tension with the union’s account. The Associated Press report establishes the sequence of events and summarizes the stated positions; timing alone does not prove why Amazon made the decision.
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Amazon’s explanation and the union’s allegation
| Position | Claim | What the cited sources establish |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon | The decision followed a review of its Quebec operations. Returning delivery to local third-party companies would preserve service and bring greater long-term savings. Amazon denied that unionization prompted the closures. | The Associated Press and Global News reported the company’s explanation and denial. These reports establish Amazon’s stated rationale, not independent proof of its motive. |
| CSN, the union | The union alleged that the closures were intended to avoid signing a first collective agreement and eliminate union presence. It said it filed a complaint with the Administrative Labour Tribunal and sought an order to reopen the facilities. | CSN’s statements document its allegation, filing and requested remedy. They do not establish that a tribunal found the allegation proven. |
Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said the company was offering impacted employees “up to 14 weeks’ pay after facilities close” and transitional benefits such as job-placement resources, as reported by the Associated Press. The offer was described as support for employees affected by the closures; it does not answer the dispute over the reason for the decision.
What happened after the announcement
- January 2025: CSN said it filed its tribunal complaint and sought reopening of the facilities. These were the union’s stated actions and requested remedies.
- February 4, 2025: CSN called for a boycott and said it would continue legal action.
- October 16, 2025: CSN reported that the case was continuing and that Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services president Jasmin Begagic was testifying. This update describes the case at that time, not a final ruling.
The latest dated case update in the cited sources is CSN’s October 16, 2025 account. It does not establish a final tribunal outcome as of October 7, 2026. CSN’s update reported testimony was continuing; no conclusion on the closure-motive allegation should be inferred from it.
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What can—and cannot—be concluded
The established facts are that Amazon announced the closures and a return to third-party delivery, the Laval workforce had recently unionized, and the company and CSN offered conflicting explanations. Amazon describes an operational and cost-saving decision; CSN alleges an effort to avoid bargaining and remove union representation. The sources cited here do not independently resolve that disagreement, document a final tribunal decision on the motive claim, or quantify subsequent effects on jobs at delivery contractors.
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