The decision comes amid strained labour relations with unionized employees at the multinational's warehouse in Laval, Quebec.

Quebec is home to Amazon's only unionized workforce in Canada. The unionized workers in Laval were dissatisfied with what they described as a hectic work pace, low wages and inadequate health and safety measures. At a recent demonstration, the workers said they were demanding $26 per hour, a $6 increase.

Au revoir, Amazon. The online retail giant announced on Wednesday it is pulling out of Quebec, a transition to take place over the next two months. Amazon will close seven operation sites, including a fulfillment centre,

“We received a message from Amazon’s lawyers around six o’clock this morning saying that all warehouses in Quebec will be closed,” said the Federation of National Trade Unions. The Quebec union had been negotiating with Amazon since July to create a collective agreement for 300 employees at a warehouse in Laval, a suburb of Montreal.

Amazon Canada says it will close all of its Quebec warehouses and lay off nearly 2,000 staff over the next two months. The e-commerce giant positioned the move as a way to provide "even more savings to our customers over the long run" and dismissed concerns that it was linked to a recent unionization push in the province. (Jan. 22, 2025)

The online retailer says 1,700 permanent employees in the province will be laid off, as will 250 temporary workers

Amazon Canada announced Wednesday it will close its seven warehouses in Quebec in a move that affects 1,700 employees.