Amazon opens a facility in Hamilton and announces three more in Ontario
20 April 2022
In Hamilton, Amazon has constructed a new fulfillment center that will employ 1,500 people.
On Tuesday, Amazon unveiled a new robotics center in Hamilton and announced plans to construct three more in Ontario by 2023.
“The building we’re in today is Amazon’s most technologically sophisticated fulfillment center in Canada,” said Vibhore Arora, regional director of customer fulfillment for Amazon Canada.
The new hub was commended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Vic Fedeli, Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger, and Donna Skelly, Conservative MPP for Flamborough-Glanbrook.
4,000 people may work in the warehouse during peak times, according to Skelly, and the jobs may provide employees more flexibility.
When the new centre was first announced in 2020, there were some concerns from Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council.
“It’s great that there are jobs coming into the city … but when we talk about jobs in the labour movement, we also talk about decent work,” he said on Tuesday.
Amazon opens a facility in Hamilton, Ottawa, Southwold and Whitby in Ontario.
“We want jobs that pay at least a living wage, hopefully include benefits, hopefully include pensions, and those are some of the things we look for.”
When the new centre was first announced in 2020, Anthony Marco, president of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, had some reservations.
“It’s great that jobs are flowing into the city,” he remarked on Tuesday, “but when we talk about jobs in the labor movement, we also talk about respectable work.”
In Ontario, Amazon is expanding in Hamilton, Ottawa, Southwold, and Whitby.
“We want employment that pay at least a living wage, with benefits and retirement if possible, and those are some of the things we look for.”
Marco mentioned Amazon opens a facility and warehouse labor movements in the United States.
Despite accusations that managers attempted to discourage employees from uniting, the Staten Island factory in New York City decided to unionize.
According to Stacy Tulp, organizer for Teamster Local 362, Amazon workers in Alberta are attempting to unionize. He stated that they are attempting to meet the standards for a vote on whether or not to create a union.
“It’s critical to give people a voice at work because their working conditions are, to put it mildly, appalling, and their earnings are well below living standards,” Tulp added.
According to the head of the Hamilton and District Labour Council, it’s excellent that Amazon is adding jobs, but they must pay a livable wage.
It’s unclear whether workers at other Amazon warehouses in Canada are attempting to organize unions.
Amazon stated in a statement announcing the expansion that it would provide full-time operations staff with educational opportunities through “upskilling” programs, and that it would cover up to 95% of tuition for courses in high-demand disciplines.
In an email to CBC News, spokesperson Dave Bauer stated that the vast majority of the Hamilton warehouse workers will be full-time. He stated that the starting hourly rate is $18.70. Other benefits include a group RRSP plan, stock awards, and performance bonuses, as well as medical, vision, and dental coverage.
Amazon opens a facility in Mount Hope and Stoney Creek, creating 1,500 new jobs.
