'Amazon won't change without a union': Canadian warehouse files for union vote

[TexasTowelie]

Sept 14 (Reuters) - Workers at one of Amazon.com Inc's (AMZN.O) Canadian facilities have filed a request with a local labor board to hold a vote to form a union, Teamsters Canada said on Tuesday, in the latest challenge to the company, which has discouraged collective action in the past.

Teamsters Local Union 362 filed for a vote on union representation at an Amazon fulfillment center in Nisku, Alberta, late on Monday, according to Teamsters Canada, which represents 125,000 workers in different industries across the country.

Efforts to unionize Amazon workers in the United States have failed. But experts say Canada is generally seen as more pro-union, particularly in light of several major COVID-19 outbreaks at Amazon facilities during the pandemic, including several outside of Toronto that led public health officials to shut down warehouses.

The application for all Amazon employees employed at the facility as of Monday to vote on forming a union must be verified by the Alberta Labor Relations Board, the Teamsters statement said. It was unclear when the vote would take place.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/canadian-amazon-facility-files-union-vote-union-2021-09-14/

[dutch777]

1. Will be interesting to see how Canada is with this and Amazon

I do really think its true that Amazon won't change as long as it has cattle to prod. Although people voting with their feet and leaving the company has a cost so not sure the demographics are in Amazon's favor long term. I do know they are looking to automate their warehouse operations to max extent possible as I was recruited a few months back to join their construction management team for warehouse operations and they were talking about 10 story warehouses, just basically ten story tall shelf racks inside a giant shell and serviced by flying drone robots picking out order stock. Folks thought that flying drone stuff was about deliveries, and maybe some was, but was for decreasing warehouse worker need.