Signal B.C. Labour Board Orders Amazon and Union Into Binding Arbitration Over Amazon's Objection

Summary

British Columbia's Labour Relations Board ruled in favor of binding arbitration to settle a labor dispute between Amazon and unionized workers at its Metro Vancouver warehouse, CBC News reported on August 5, 2026, describing a ruling issued Tuesday (August 4) by associate chair Andres Barker. The board ordered Amazon and Unifor Local 114, which represents workers at the Delta, B.C. site, to conclude their first collective agreement through a single arbitrator, over Amazon's objection to the approach. After multiple meetings with an independent mediator starting in March 2026, Amazon and Unifor could not reach agreement on key items, which the mediator largely attributed to the company's unwillingness to negotiate. The board will appoint an arbitrator if the parties do not agree on one within seven days. Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson said the company is appealing the decision and wants the board to pause arbitration until results of a pending employee decertification vote are counted. The board had previously ruled in February that Amazon violated provincial labor law in its treatment of unionized workers at the warehouse.