Two Alberta unions have applied for certification to represent Amazon workers at facilities in Calgary and Nisku.
Local Union 362 applied on September 13 to represent workers at Amazon’s Nisku warehouse, at Edmonton’s airport. On October 19, Local Union 987 filed for workers at Amazon’s fulfilment centre near the Calgary airport.
“People at Amazon tell us that job security, the pace of work, discrimination and favouritism are major issues for them,” explains Teamsters Canada president, François Laporte. “We have the resources and the ability to put a stop to those injustices, and that’s why these workers have opted for the Teamsters.”
Amazon opened its first fulfillment centre and second delivery station in the Edmonton area in 2018, creating more than 600 jobs, according to news reports. In September 2020, it opened its second fulfillment centre in the province. Amazon says it employs more than 2,500 full and part-time employees in the province among its various operations that include delivery stations and a sorting centre.
In June 2021, Amazon announced plans to open its first robotics fulfillment centre in Parkland County, Alta. The new 600,000+ sq ft facility is set to launch in 2022.
