Arbitrator imposes first binding union contract for Amazon workers in North America, at Delta, B.C.

An arbitrator has imposed a three-year collective agreement covering about 800 Amazon workers in Delta, B.C., which their union, Unifor, says is the first binding contract for the company's workers in North America. Unifor says the deal raises hourly wages to $29 by its end, improves severance protections and adds a week of vacation for workers with 10 years of service. B.C.'s Labour Relations Board ruled in August that binding arbitration could settle the dispute. Amazon says the process was improper and unfair because workers could not vote on the terms, and that it would go to court if necessary.