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

Amazon, the online retail giant, has announced a significant wage increase for its hourly workers in Canada, raising the average pay to $26.27 per hour from $25.27 last year. This four percent year-over-year raise comes into effect on September 27. For full-time employees working 40 hours a week, this increase means an average annual income of over $54,000.

The union representing workers at Amazon’s Metro Vancouver warehouse, Unifor, reported that the company’s decision aligns with the conclusion of a mediation process mandated by the British Columbia Labour Relations Board. Unifor stated that the company has been under pressure due to the impending contract award to its facility's workers.

The BC Labour Relations Board had previously ruled in favour of binding arbitration to resolve the dispute between Amazon and the unionized employees at its Delta, B.C. warehouse, though Amazon had initially opposed the move.

Previously, Amazon had rejected a mediator's recommendation for arbitration, opting instead for direct negotiations with Unifor. The board had ruled Amazon had breached B.C.’s labour code by excluding unionized Delta workers from scheduled pay increases provided to other employees. Amazon's recent statement also announced that certain employees will receive a 10 percent discount on groceries and daily essentials on its Canadian website starting October 1.