Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) conducted a “lengthy and pervasive anti-union campaign” at a warehouse near Vancouver, Canada, according to a ruling by the British Columbia Labour Relations Board.
The labor board determined that Amazon Canada Fulfillment Services ULC violated provincial labor laws by interfering with unionization efforts at its facility in Delta, south of Vancouver.
On Friday, the board approved the union through remedial certification, a measure typically reserved for cases where an employer’s actions make a fair vote impossible.
“There is little doubt that Amazon was trying to control the messaging within its facility and it did so in a manner that was coercive and intimidating,” the board stated in its decision. The ruling added that Amazon’s conduct made it “impossible for the board to determine the true wishes of the employees.”
The labor body found that Amazon “bombarded” workers with anti-union messages and hired an excessive number of employees to dilute support for the union.
In response to these findings, Amazon claimed it was “simply providing facts” to employees rather than engaging in anti-union activity.
“This decision is wrong on the facts and the law — it goes against what our employees have said they want, and deprives them of their right to make an informed decision,” Kelly Nantel, an Amazon spokesperson told Investing.com. “The Board has decided to unilaterally overreach instead of giving our employees a chance to be heard, and we plan to appeal.”
