Quebec labour tribunal to hear case against Amazon over warehouse closures

MONTREAL — A Quebec labour tribunal will begin hearing witnesses in a case against Amazon stemming from the e-commerce giant’s decision to close its seven warehouses in the province.

The Confédération des syndicats nationaux has filed a complaint alleging the closures were an attempt by Amazon to shut down unionization efforts and avoid obligations under the province’s Labour Code.

The union says in a release that the president of Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services will be the first to testify.

Some 1,700 employees lost their jobs following Amazon’s sudden termination of its Quebec warehouse operations in January, only months after workers at a Montreal-area facility unionized.

The union says it is asking the tribunal to order the resumption of operations at the warehouses and to award each employee more than a year’s salary in compensation, as well as moral and punitive damages.

Amazon has said its closures were about delivering efficient and cost-effective services to customers and were not a response to the union drive.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 26, 2025.