First union contract for Amazon workers in North America is imposed in B.C.
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Free Press subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on brandonsun.com
- Read the Brandon Sun E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
*Your next Free Press subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $20.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
DELTA – A union representing about 800 Amazon workers in Delta, B.C., says they are now covered by the first binding collective agreement for the retailing giant’s workers in North America.
Unifor and Amazon both say an independent arbitrator imposed the terms of the three-year deal on Friday.
While the union hails the agreement, and workers who it says “stood up to one of the most powerful companies on Earth,” Amazon says it was imposed without giving workers a chance to vote on it.
Amazon vice-president J. Ofori Agboka says in an online posting that the process was “improper, unfair and defies common sense,” and the company would take its concerns to court if necessary.
Unifor says the agreement includes wage increases that bring hourly rates to $29 by its conclusion, enhanced severance protections and an additional week of vacation for workers with 10 years of service.
British Columbia’s Labour Relations Board ruled in August in favour of using binding arbitration to settle the labour dispute despite the e-commerce giant fighting the idea.
“Amazon told everyone a union contract would never happen, but workers proved them wrong,” Unifor national president Lana Payne said in a statement, praising the “courage” of workers.
Payne said Amazon “tried to convince workers that they were too big to organize and used their power and money to deter workers while making billions in profits.”
“They have fought every decision and tried to rewrite reality at every step but they have failed,” Payne said.
But Agboka said union dues meant the workers “could actually take home less money than they did before.”
“Our associates weren’t allowed to vote on whether to accept it, which has become an unfortunate pattern with the British Columbia Labour Relations Board,” he said.
He added that Amazon believed the best workplace was “one where associates have direct input and we work together to make progress quickly, and where nobody should have to pay dues or go through a third party to be heard.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2026.