Labour tribunal rejects Amazon's challenge of Quebec warehouse's unionization

A Quebec-based union says it has filed an application to represent hundreds of Amazon workers at a warehouse in the province. The Amazon DXT4 warehouse is seen in Laval, Que., Monday, April 22, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ryan Remiorz

A labour tribunal has dismissed Amazon's challenge of the unionization of its warehouse workers in Laval, Que.

Quebec's Tribunal administratif du travail rejected the online shopping giant's argument that the process by which employees unionized earlier this year was unlawful because it involved workers signing union cards instead of voting in a secret ballot.

Lawyers for the company had argued that the absence of a secret ballot violated workers' freedom of association rights.

In a decision dated Tuesday, administrative judge Irene Zaikoff also rejected Amazon's request that the union certification be revoked.

The warehouse workers in the Montreal suburb of Laval became the first Amazon workers in Canada to successfully unionize when they were certified on May 10.

The 200 or so unionized workers belong to a union affiliated with the Confederation des syndicats nationaux, or CSN.

"While we're disappointed by the tribunal's decision, we'll continue to pursue our case," Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said in a statement.

"As we've said from the beginning, card check auto-certification does not allow for employees to have their voices heard."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 23, 2024.