NDP and Amazon employees launch national boycott movement
Posted February 27, 2025 12:10 pm.
Last Updated February 27, 2025 12:13 pm.
The NDP and Amazon employees are inviting Canadians to participate in a national boycott movement, and are urging the federal government to intervene.
They deplore the inaction of political parties in the House of Commons since the online giant’s recent decision to close all its warehouses in Quebec.
“I call on all Canadians to join us in defending our values, our nation and our workers. I call on all Canadians to show solidarity with their brothers and sisters in Quebec because what happened in Quebec is a crime against our country,” said NDP MP Charlie Angus at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday.
He called Amazon chief Jeff Bezos a “toxic American oligarch” and argued that the multi-billionaire is “against Canadian workers”.
“I don’t hear anything from the political parties. It’s necessary for the Government of Canada to defend the interests of Amazon workers and oppose the attacks on Canadian values by Jeff Bezos and the Washington gang,” added Angus.
Present at his side, Laval warehouse union president Félix Trudeau called for unity in the labour movement across the country.
On Friday, Amazon and other U.S. multinationals will be the subject of an international boycott, organized by consumer groups to oppose what they see as corporate greed.
Amazon previously dismissed claims that the layoffs are linked to a recent unionization push in the province, saying instead that it was about increasing efficiency.
“We respect people’s right to peacefully protest. The decision to revert back to a third-party delivery model in Quebec supported by local small businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run,” Amazon spokesperson Barbara Agrait said to CityNews in previous email. “In making this decision, we’ve complied and will continue to comply with all applicable federal and provincial laws.”
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews
