Amazon bumps hourly wages by $1 for operations workers in Canada

VANCOUVER - Online giant Amazon has announced it will increase the average hourly wage for operations workers in Canada to $26.27, marking a $1 raise from the previous year's rate. This adjustment, effective September 27, represents a 4% increase year-over-year. According to the company, a full-time employee working 40 hours a week could earn an average of more than $54,000 annually.

The move comes shortly after the British Columbia Labour Relations Board ordered binding arbitration to settle a dispute between Amazon and unionized workers at the company's Metro Vancouver warehouse. Unifor, the union representing affected workers, noted the announcement came at a critical time, coinciding with the upcoming awarding of a new contract.

Amazon had previously declined a mediator's recommendation for arbitration, opting instead for direct negotiations. The labor board ruled that Amazon had breached B.C.'s labor code by excluding the Delta workers from scheduled pay increases granted to others. In addition to the wage hike, Amazon will provide a 10% discount on groceries and daily essentials from its Canadian website starting October 1.