Workers at Walmart’s Mississauga, Ont., warehouse have voted to unionize, marking the company’s first warehouse in Canada to join a union, according to Unifor.
The decision came after more than 40 per cent of the workers at the facility signed union cards this summer, leading to a vote held by the Ontario Labour Board from September 10 to 12.
Unifor, the union representing the workers, announced the outcome on Friday, with National President Lana Payne crediting the victory to the employees’ desire for workplace democracy and improved conditions. “Walmart workers in Mississauga stood up for their rights, and we are excited to get to work on their first collective agreement,” said Payne in a statement.
Walmart, a company with a long-standing anti-union stance, faced accusations from Unifor of spreading misinformation about the protections offered by unions during the organizing drive. Despite these efforts, workers opted to move forward with unionization, according to a press release issued by Unifor.
“Unions are the most effective way to have a say in your conditions at work,” said Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi. “These Walmart workers are showing warehouse workers across Canada what’s possible when we stand together.”
The unionization effort at the Mississauga warehouse began in December 2023, part of a broader push to organize warehouse workers in Canada, it said. Earlier this year, workers at an Amazon warehouse in Metro Vancouver filed for a union vote, though the result remains pending amid legal challenges by the company, according to Unifor.
