Montreal Protest Erupts Over Amazon's Quebec Warehouse Shutdowns

On Saturday, protesters gathered in Montreal, voicing their opposition to Amazon's abrupt closure of its seven warehouses in Quebec, which resulted in nearly 2,000 permanent job losses, with the total count exceeding 4,500 when subcontracted workers are included. The demonstration, organized by the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), saw participants calling for a boycott of Amazon and urging all levels of government to back businesses that comply with Quebec’s labor laws.

Félix Trudeau, who represented the laid-off workers from the unionized Laval facility, passionately called on society and the labor movement to stand firm against what he described as an attack on workers' rights. His remarks were echoed by other union officials, including CSN President Caroline Senneville, who argued that the government should only engage with companies that honor local labor standards.

The protest was marked by claims that the warehouse closures were a maneuver by Amazon to prevent what would have been its first collective agreement in North America, thereby discouraging unionization at other facilities. Former employees recounted dangerous working conditions and frequent injuries, attributing these issues to the relentless pace of work at the warehouses.

In response to these concerns, an Amazon spokesperson stated that the company adheres to all legal requirements and ensures that staff are properly trained to report and handle workplace injuries. Meanwhile, experts like Barry Eidlin from McGill University speculated that the shutdown was a strategic move to avoid the imposition of union contracts mandated by Quebec labor law, raising broader questions about the protection of workers' rights in an increasingly competitive corporate landscape.