The giant Amazon does not seem to appreciate the fact that the employees of its distribution center in Montreal are trying to obtain union certification. According to the Confederation of National Trade Unions (CSN), the company allegedly used “intimidation and harassment tactics” to undermine the ongoing unionization process.
The CSN says it sent two letters from a lawyer to the employer, on May 20 and June 2, concerning allegations of labor rights violations. According to the vice-president of the central union David Bergeron-Cyr, anti-union messages from Amazon are “pervasive” in the warehouse.
“It’s intimidation, slice Mr. Bergeron-Cyr in an interview. This American company must respect the Quebec Labor Code. »
Photos seen by The Canadian Press show the workers’ break room at the Montreal warehouse. Posters were pasted on each of the transparent panels installed between the tables. On these posters, we can read messages saying: “We encourage you to speak for yourself” or “We do not believe we need a third party between us”.
The Canadian Press was also able to view text messages sent by Amazon to the personal phones of its employees. “It’s your basic right to sign or to say ‘No thanks’ or ‘I’m not interested’,” reads a direct reference to the union card signing campaign.
A matter of balance
According to the Quebec Labor Code, the employer benefits from his freedom of expression, but he does not have the right to obstruct the unionization process nor to make threats or promises to the workers. The employer shall not use his authority to influence staff to comply with his wishes. In addition, employees should be able to decide whether or not they want to receive communications from the employer about unions.
Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Quebec in Montreal, Frédéric Paré, believes that Amazon’s practices regarding intensive posting in the break room as well as sending text messages “could be a problem” if it becomes overwhelming.
For Professor Paré, it’s all about balance. In his eyes, Amazon’s approach betrays an American mentality that will not be tolerated in Quebec.
David Bergeron-Cyr recalls that Amazon employees approached the CSN in April and have since launched a unionization campaign, in part to obtain better wages, which currently hover around $17 or $18 an hour. By comparison, workers in unionized factories earn between $26 and $30 an hour.
“The workload and the pace are completely crazy,” described the vice-president of the CSN. “People work under pressure. Many of them are immigrants who don’t know their rights and Amazon is using this to their advantage. »
If more than half of the 250 to 300 warehouse employees sign a membership card, the Administrative Labor Tribunal can then grant union certification.
Difficult working conditions
Several employees told The Canadian Press, on condition of anonymity, that Amazon’s actions seemed to them to be clear attempts to thwart the unionization process. They all reported an obsession by managers with separating groups of workers who talk about unionization as well as verbal threats to close the distribution center in the event of union certification.
An employee revealed that his life had become miserable since he said the word “union” at work. “Every person who comes to talk to me is questioned a few seconds later by the manager. When they do that, no one comes to talk to you anymore, so I’m isolated, ”he laments.
According to another worker, the majority of his colleagues believe that they deserve better conditions, but are afraid to sign their card for fear that the employer will find out and fire them.
Amazon Canada spokesperson Ryma Boussoufa said in a statement that the company does not believe that “unions are the best solution for [ses] employees “. She then added that “no one in our organization will ever coerce, intimidate, threaten, make promises or improperly influence our employees in their decision whether or not to join a union.” She denied all the allegations collected from the employees, calling them “unfounded”.
Several groups of Amazon warehouse workers around the world, including in Montreal, have reported harsh working conditions including ten-hour shifts and having to pack products at a frantic pace that often leads to injuries.
Managers would also be encouraged to overcharge employees in order to collect bonuses, and distribution centers would be equipped with intrusive surveillance camera systems.
Asked about these denunciations of poor working conditions, Ms. Boussoufa replies that Amazon aspires to a culture of safety, then lists a series of benefits including dental care and scholarships.
This article was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta Fellowships and The Canadian Press for News.