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Labour complaint against Amazon Canada alleges workers

who tried to unionize were fired
Union says the e-commerce giant violated Employee Standards Act

The Canadian Press · Posted: Jan 30, 2019 12:32 PM EST | Last Updated: January 30, 2019

Employees work at the Amazon warehouse in Brampton, Ont. A union representing Ontario couriers are
alleging the e-commerce giant engaged in unfair labour practices that resulted in the termination of
employees, the closure of one courier company's Mississauga operations and the bankruptcy of another.
(Chris Young/The Canadian Press)

A union representing Ontario couriers delivering packages for Amazon.com Inc., are alleging the
e-commerce giant engaged in unfair labour practices that resulted in the termination of
employees, the closure of one courier company's Mississauga operations and the bankruptcy of
another.

In a series of applications filed with the Ontario Labour Relations Board in July, initially reported
on by The Logic, the United Food and Commercial Workers Union Canada Local 175 accused
Amazon subsidiary Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Inc., of using its control over sub-
contractors to create a "chilling effect" meant to influence them to not "support, assist or co-
operate with" the organization of a union.

The union is seeking a declaration that Amazon violated the Employment Standards Act and is
demanding it reinstate and compensate laid-off courier drivers from two subcontracted
companies for lost wages.
Amazon, which has expanded its network of warehouses across Canada in recent years, said in
documents it filed that it "categorically denies" the allegations and that the claims have "no basis
in fact."

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The Seattle-based company took issue with the anti-union tactic allegations and with the union's
descriptions of work conditions it says couriers working for companies sub-contracted by
Amazon face across North America.

Drivers receive texts to hurry up, union alleges

The union alleges the couriers are typically paid within Amazon's suggested wage rate range —
between $15 and $17.50 an hour — and work 12 hour days, but can see those shifts reduced or
extended depending on the number of deliveries assigned, weather, the time of year and traffic.

Every hour a driver must deliver between 15 and 25 packages an hour and if they fall behind,
they'll be texted about their deficiency and directed to catch up, the union alleges. Drivers must
work until all their packages are delivered and Amazon has the authority — and allegedly often
exercises it — to send couriers back on the road to complete deliveries that were not successful
during the day, the union says.

It is amid these conditions that the union alleges Amazon acted against workers at Burlington-
based transportation company DEC Fleet Services, national courier service All Canadian Final
Mile and Richmond Hill, Ont.-based Stedfasts Inc., which each employed workers providing
delivery services to Amazon for their Scarborough and Mississauga warehouses. These
businesses and a handful of others are named as respondents in the labour board case.

Union drive began November 2017

Documents say All Canadian Final Mile's employees began a union drive in November 2017 and
shortly after Amazon reduced the company's five shifts per day to three, its 12-hour shifts to 10-
hour shifts and its number of routes from 25 to about 12.

From December 2017 to February 2017, the documents allege couriers were receiving emails
from All Canadian Final Mile saying the company had "fewer routes than usual" and a "really
low" volume of work.

Amazon has sent an unequivocal message to the

courier drivers at
its Scarborough and Mississauga distribution
terminals that unionization equates to job loss.
- Source

The documents also explain the reductions were initially blamed on the Christmas rush being
over and the start of the year's slow period, but by June, couriers got an email announcing the
immediate closure of the company's Mississauga operation due to "unstable and declining
volumes." The workers were allegedly placed on permanent layoff.
DEC's union drive began in June 2017 and resulted in the company's owners allegedly warning
employees that if they did things Amazon did not like, Amazon would take work away from DEC.

Union organizer and supporters allegedly fired

Later DEC allegedly terminated about 15 courier drivers, including the union organizer and a
handful of supporters. Courier drivers then allegedly received an email saying DEC would be
shutting down immediately because it could not afford to operate. A bankruptcy order was
allegedly filed against the company soon after.

At Stedfasts Inc., documents allege the company has terminated or stopped assigning work to
three employees because of their support for the union. Documents say the company pointed at
Amazon for the reason it terminated specific employees and is claiming it cannot reinstate the
workers.

The union refused to comment to The Canadian Press about the incidents and its application,
but in its filing says "Amazon has sent an unequivocal message to the courier drivers at its
Scarborough and Mississauga distribution terminals that unionization equates to job loss."

We are fully co-operating with the Ontario

Labour Relations Board and will relentlessly fight
to disprove these accusations
- Amanda Ip, Amazon spokesperson

In an email to the Canadian Press, Amazon spokesperson Amanda Ip said, "We are fully co-
operating with the Ontario Labour Relations Board and will relentlessly fight to disprove these
accusations."

In labour board filings the company also maintained that it "has not committed any unfair
labour practice."

"Not only did Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services Inc., not discriminate against delivery service
providers on the basis of their union or non-union status, but the data is clear that the unionized
delivery service providers did not experience any form of differential treatment from non-
unionized delivery service providers."

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for tech sector

Amazon said that unionization or attempts at unionizations do not factor into what delivery
area, routes and shift cancellations its courier companies receive.

DEC, Stedfasts Inc., and All Canadian Final Mile's parent company TFI International also did not
respond to The Canadian Press's requests for comments.

In their own filings Stedfasts Inc. and All Canadian Final Mile said they had no knowledge of most
of the allegations put forward by the union and denied most of the remaining claims.

The matter will be headed back to the labour relations board on Wednesday and Thursday.
 As Bezos divorce unfurls, investors wonder — what does it mean for Amazon?

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