B.C. Labour Board certifies union at Amazon facility in Delta, B.C., Unifor says

Yahoo

6 days ago

Workers at an Amazon fulfilment centre in Delta, B.C., have been officially certified to unionize, after the B.C. Labour Relations Board found the company engaged in unfair labour practices that interfered with the unionization process.
The union had applied to certify the facility for unionization last year, but the results of that vote were sealed due to an unfair labour practices complaint the union filed, alleging Amazon ramped up hiring to try to dilute union support.
Following 18 days of hearings, the board on Thursday ruled that Amazon's "deliberate, calculated, and pervasive" anti-union campaign undermined the possibility of a fair vote, and granted Unifor certification through a rare remedial order that's used when employer misconduct compromises the integrity of a vote.
"We're very happy for the Amazon workers that have been fighting so hard to get access to collective bargaining and a fair collective agreement," said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor's western regional director.
Unifor filed its first application for union certification in April 2024, then withdrew it shortly after. A second application was filed in May.
According to the Labour Board's decision, Amazon brought in 148 new employees between March and June 2024 — a period that overlapped with both certification attempts. The board found this influx, along with a coordinated anti-union campaign, substantially impacted the unionization process.
Unifor alleged Amazon ramped up hiring and flooded workers with anti-union messaging, including suggestions that they could lose existing benefits if they unionized.
In its ruling, the board found the company had violated B.C.'s Labour Relations Code.
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"I find Amazon hired unnecessary employees, which had both the impact and purpose of impeding the Union's organizing drive," board vice-chair Gurleen Sahota said in his decision. The document describes ways the company tried to persuade employees away from unionizing, including the corporation's practice of "pulsing" wherein in it assesses culture, leadership and employee satisfaction at its sites. The process includes meeting with employees one-on-one and asking them questions about their experiences at the workplace and "educating them on Amazon's policies and procedures."
"Employees were subjected to 'pulsing' by managers from various sites and a constant barrage of materials and carefully constructed anti-union messaging by Amazon…the messaging made the Union look like a bad thing," reads the decision.
The certification makes the Delta warehouse only the third Amazon facility in North America to unionize following one in Staten Island, N.Y., in 2022 and another in Laval, Que., in 2024.
The Laval warehouse, which employed about 230 workers, was the first Amazon site in Canada to unionize. However, the company shut down all seven of its facilities in Quebec in January 2025, citing cost savings. Thousands of workers have yet to receive proper severance or assistance, according to the union representing them.
McGarrigle acknowledged Amazon's history of resisting unions, but said B.C. has stronger labour protections.
"We've seen what Amazon's done in other jurisdictions…but the B.C. labour laws are strong," he said. "We're going to expect Amazon to follow the law and sit down and get into collective bargaining with us."
Workers have raised concerns about unstable employment and safety at the Delta facility, he said.
"Doesn't matter the size of the employer, they'll have to follow the law and they gotta take care of their workers and we're going to make sure that that happens," McGarrigle said.
Amazon to appeal
Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement Friday the company will challenge the decision.
"This decision is wrong on the facts and the law…it goes against what our employees have said they want, and deprives them of their right to make an informed decision," she wrote.
Nantel said the board overstepped by certifying the union rather than "giving our employees a chance to be heard."
Mark Thompson, a professor emeritus of industrial relations at UBC's Sauder School of Business, said the board's decision is rooted in a long-standing provision of the B.C. Labour Code.
Thompson said when a company's actions make a fair vote unlikely, the board can impose certification outright.
"The theory is that if the company fights the union hard enough, the result is they get a union," he said. "The techniques that Amazon used were such that a vote wouldn't yield a fair result."
Still, he warned that certification is only the beginning of what could be a long and difficult process.
Amazon's other unionized workforce in North America, certified in Staten Island, N.Y. in 2022, still does not have a contract.
"It's characteristic of Amazon, they do not want a union and they resort to many tactics to avoid having a union," Thompson said. "It will be a long haul for the workers and I'm sure they understood that this would be a long fight."