Toronto, June 6, 2026, 14:02 EDT
- Unifor says warehouse workers at Walmart in Mississauga ratified the first union contract ever negotiated with Walmart in North America.
- Unifor has another agreement at CommerceLink Logistics, where truck drivers and logistics workers handle freight for Walmart and other clients in Alberta.
- Unions are turning up the heat on retail supply chains, with Amazon now under first-contract pressure in British Columbia as well.
Walmart warehouse workers in Mississauga, Ontario, have ratified the first union contract with the retailer in North America, Unifor said. The deal gives Unifor entry into Walmart’s supply chain, a rare move for the union.
Unions are turning focus away from store floors and looking harder at logistics centers. That’s important because fewer workers can disrupt supply for stores and online. The Mississauga warehouse handles supply for more than 100 Walmart locations, including one of the company’s top Canadian markets, according to The Guardian.
The deal comes as Unifor members at CommerceLink Logistics in Alberta ratified a contract, while a first-agreement push drags on at Amazon’s YVR2 site in Delta, B.C. These fights point to unions making a push into warehouses, trucking yards and fulfillment centres that now play a key role in retail.
Unifor said Local 252 workers cleared the Walmart deal with 93% backing. The two-year pact brings up to C$5 an hour more in the first year and another 3% raise in the second. It has a “me-too” clause to match any higher wage offers to other Walmart warehouse staff in Canada. Workers will also get lump sums between C$4,250 and C$8,750 to resolve an unfair-labour-practice complaint. Unifor
Unifor National President Lana Payne said Unifor members at Walmart are “helping to lead the warehousing sector.” Ontario regional director Samia Hashi described it as a “clear union advantage” in warehousing. Unifor
Mississauga workers started their union drive in 2024. It took two years before they settled a contract. Walmart did not answer a request for comment from The Guardian, the outlet said.
Unifor Local 4050 workers at CommerceLink Logistics in Calgary and Nisku voted 87% in favor of their first union contract. The deal applies to 256 employees. It covers truck drivers who haul for Walmart and other clients, yard coordinators, and other logistics staff.
The agreement gives a 2.5% wage hike, retroactive to March 4, along with better shift and specialty premiums, tighter limits on contracting out, and new wait-time rules for pay-per-mile drivers. Contracting out happens when work gets moved to firms or workers outside the bargaining unit. The contract runs through May 30, 2027.
Payne said the CommerceLink deal put “important protections in writing.” Gavin McGarrigle, Unifor’s western regional director, told reporters members got “real improvements” after tough first-contract bargaining. Unifor
Amazon is the big name facing a union dispute. A mediator blamed Amazon for stalling first-contract bargaining at YVR2, the company’s sole unionized fulfillment center in B.C., and called for binding mediation-arbitration, according to Global News. Amazon spokesperson Sam Stephenson called the bargaining process “complex” and said Amazon bargained in good faith. Global News
Jim Stanford, an economist who heads the Centre for Future Work, told The Guardian that Walmart and Amazon control prices, suppliers and labor. Having a contract would give workers a shot at what he called a “fairer share” of the wealth they create. The Guardian
Wages are sticking higher even as Canada’s economy slows. ING’s James Knightley and Francesco Pesole said weaker output, USMCA uncertainty, mixed job numbers and tame inflation should make the Bank of Canada stay on hold June 10. Reuters reported every one of the 34 economists it surveyed June 2-5 see the bank leaving its overnight rate at 2.25%.
The Walmart deal might not spread easily. Employers can challenge certifications, drag out first-contract bargaining, or limit deals to one location. An inflation surprise could force policy tighter and slow hiring. Scotiabank’s René Lalonde told Reuters a drawn-out Middle East conflict may keep inflation high and push for tighter policy.
Unifor is calling the Walmart deal a starting point. Payne told The Guardian the union targeted the supply chain to use worker leverage. “This victory will create momentum across the warehouse sector,” Payne said. The Guardian
