Stand in solidarity with Amazon Workers! Boycott Amazon!
On Tuesday, January 21st, Amazon announced that it would be closing all of its warehouses in Quebec. With 1700 workers spread across 7 warehouses, plus the drivers, this amounts to 3500 people left without a job. This act is in direct reprisal to the unionization of the Amazon DXT4 warehouse in Laval, which was the first unionized Amazon facility in Canada, and was on its way to being the first to secure a collective agreement with Amazon in the world.
During the unionization process, Amazon made use of despicable anti-union practices, including attempting to invalidate the Quebec labour code in front of tribunal (!), pressurizing workers to accept a contract with a 0% wage increase, and freezing the wages of the unionized warehouse while raising the wages of other warehouses.
The workers of the Amazon Workers Union – CSN faced those attacks bravely and militantly and refused to bow. Amazon would not have it: for them, the prospect of a union existing in their facilities is simply impossible. It would set a dangerous precedent for them – and open the way for mass unionization of their warehouses throughout the world.
The closure is an act of intimidation, a blatant attack not only on the workers of Quebec, but on Amazon workers everywhere in the world. Amazon wants to stay above and beyond the law, and do as they wish. They use their tremendous financial power to override the basic rights of workers, these hard earned-rights won through the struggles of generations of working people. Amazon is sending a clear message to their workers around the world: if you form a union, we will close down shop.
We will not accept that companies use their power to attack the basic rights of workers; to put in to question even the existence of trade-unions. Amazon wants the labour movement to be intimidated and step down, we say, this is an opportunity to fight even harder, to show them that they cannot get away with this with no consequence. There must be a strong, organized response.
In addition to its despicable anti-labour practices, let us remind ourselves that Amazon is also a pillar of imperialist financial capital, and that Bezos is well integrated in the oligarchy setting the basis for fascism in the US. Amazon is directly involved in US imperialism, and was already identified as a pressure target by the BDS movement. The present boycott against Amazon embodies our broader struggle for democracy, peace, and socialism.
ILPS-Canada calls on it member organizations, to other ILPS chapters and ILPS commissions, to:
1. Issue statement in support of the Amazon Boycott and endorse the “Here, we boycott Amazon” campaign at boycottamazon.ca;
2. Call on all their members to close their Amazon account, Prime Video subscriptions, and any other Amazon subscription;
3. Put up posters and distribute leaflets promoting the boycott
4. Put pressure on government institutions to stop purchasing from Amazon and stop using Amazon web services;
5. Take any other action you deem possible and necessary
In solidarity with Amazon workers in Quebec and all around the world,
Boycott Amazon!