Amazon Canada has announced plans to close all seven of its Quebec warehouses in coming weeks.

The company intends to lay off 1,700 permanent employees and 250 seasonal workers as part of a return to a supply-chain model used previously.

“Following a recent review of our Quebec operations, we’ve seen that returning to a third-party delivery model supported by local businesses, similar to what we had until 2020, will allow us to provide the same great service and even more savings to our customers over the long run,” said Amazon spokeswoman Barbara Agrait in a statement provided to Connect.

The company has insisted that the decision is part of the return to the third-party delivery model and not linked to recent unionization efforts by employees at the company’s warehouse in Laval.

“This decision wasn’t made lightly, and we’re offering impacted employees a package that includes up to 14 weeks’ pay after facilities close and transitional benefits, like job-placement resources,” said Agrait.

Another Amazon spokeswoman told Connect that operations at the affected facilities will “slowly ramp down” over the next two months. But the company has not confirmed its plans for the properties’ future.

The closures affect sites in the Montreal borough of Lachine and the Greater Montreal Area cities Longueuil, Coteau-du-Lac, and Laval. The facilities include a fulfillment centre, two sorting centres, three delivery stations, and a warehouse and distribution centre specializing in large-goods shipments, such as furniture.

The Confederation of National Trade Unions, known by its French acronym CSN, accused Amazon of interfering in the organizing process.

The company previously faced allegations of anti-union tactics at its Lachine warehouse, where the province’s labour tribunal ordered Amazon to stop interfering in union affairs and pay CSN $30,000 in damages.

Caroline Senneville, president of CSN, denounced the decision to close the facilities as an attack on organized labour, calling it a “slap in the face for all Quebec workers.”

“This decision makes no sense whatsoever,” she said in a statement quoted by CBC. “Neither from a business point of view, nor from an operational point of view.”

Senneville indicated that CSN may seek some form of legal action against Amazon.

“It’s a move that runs counter to the provisions of the Labour Code, and one we’ll be taking a firm stand against,” she said.