Canadian gov't urges Amazon to reconsider shutting down the distribution centers in Quebec

Amazon announced this week that it would be closing seven warehouses in Quebec over the next two months, cutting more than 1,700 workers as a result. Canada's Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry - François-Philippe Champagne - has written to Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy, requesting the company reconsider its decision to shut down the distribution centers in Quebec.

In the letter, shared publicly to X, formerly known as Twitter, Champagne writes of his "strong disappointment" over the decision, encouraging Jassy to reconsider it "immediately." Champagne states that while Amazon says it values its workers and aims to be "Earth's best employer," the decision to lay off workers and close down warehouses is "inconsistent with those values."

Canadian government customers of AWS include the border services, Health Canada, the government of Ontario, Library and Archives Canada, BC Hydro, and the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation, among others. AWS' website states that it works with 6,500 public sector organizations in Canada, and the Canadian government database which tracks the awarding of contracts suggests that AWS has received more than CA$50 million (US$34.9m) in work from the government since 2020.