Unifor has announced a union drive campaign outside an Amazon facility in New Westminster on Wednesday.
“There is an old adage in the labour movement, ‘United we bargain, divided we beg,’” said Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s Western Regional Director. “We are here to announce an exciting development in bringing union representation to the workers at Amazon in B.C. and all across the country.”
Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 315,000 workers in every major area of the economy.
“Amazon workers are frustrated with issues like workload, health and safety. Starting (Tuesday), they can privately contact a Unifor organizer to learn more and digitally sign a union card,” McGarrigle said. “They are tired of not being respected. We are going to bring a union to (Canadian) Amazon workers.”
It will be the first Amazon-worker union in Canada. The union said it advocates for “all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad,” and “strives to create progressive change for a better future.”
U.S. activist and U.S. Amazon Labour Union’s president, Chris Smalls, who led a successful drive to unionize in New York City, has joined Unifor organizers in Metro Vancouver for the campaign.
“Last year, we made history in New York City, voting in the first (Amazon) union. We now represent 8,300 members,” Smalls said. “We know that Amazon is a world-wide company that employs more than 1.5 million workers, (and) our one victory is not going to be enough. It’s important to be here … to put the company on notice… we are going to continue to organize everywhere there is an Amazon facility.”
Smalls emphasized the need to foster community and build meaningful connections between workers.
“The union shows the power of the people, bringing them together, helping them with their real concerns at work,” Smalls said. “Amazon can never do that. They’re in the business of exploiting workers for profit.”
Amazon supplied Global News with a statement regarding the situation.
“Our employees have the choice of whether or not to join a union. They always have,” said Ryma Boussoufa, an Amazon spokesperson said. “As a company, we don’t think unions are the best answer for our employees.”