Indigo is closing a beloved Chapters bookstore in Scarborough in a move that has employees and regulars alike accusing them of union busting.

The Chapters at Kennedy Commons is not only the largest bookstore in Scarborough and one of the best Indigo locations in the city, it's one of three unionized Chapters locations in Toronto.

According to Indigo (which owns Chapters), the decision to shutter the business was merely a fiscal one. In a statement to CBC Toronto, they suggested that the location's profitability wasn't up to par.

But employees of the location, as well as some locals, aren't buying it. For some, the company's decision to close this specific location doesn't add up, leading to accusations of union busting from the store's employees and supporters.

Hey, @chaptersindigo, I had planned on dropping by my local store to pick up a bunch of last minute gifts, but after hearing about your recent union-busting at the Scarborough Chapters, I'll be heading somewhere else.

Screwing over your employees at Xmas is a really bad look.

— Robert Stemmler (@BrlyBear) December 24, 2023

"We think we're being made an example of for being unionized and for demanding better wages," Victoria Popov, a part-time employee and union steward at the store, told CBC.

"I think they want to show other stores: 'This is what will happen to you if you dare step out of line.'"

Hey @chaptersindigo we are watching how you are treating workers at your Scarborough store. #NotMyHappyPlace https://t.co/TxD7XR3hUk

— Farzana Doctor 📖🔥 (she/her) (@farzanadoctor) December 24, 2023

While only a legal proceeding will be able to determine whether Indigo is truly guilty of union busting or not, there is no legal proceeding needed to say that they are guilty of very, very poor timing.

Members of Chapters 929 say that they were informed of the closure just days before the holidays, in a move that makes CEO Heather Reisman look a lot like Ebeneezer Scrooge.

In addition to the hit of the store closing, Popov says, the 30 to 40 employees impacted by this closure haven't recieved fair severance from Indigo, nor has a single employee been approved to transfer to another store, leaving all of them completely out of work.

Many social media users have rallied around the affected employees, echoing their accusations of union busting and, for some, vowing to boycott Indigo altogether.

@HeatherReisman, after years of faithfully buying from Indigo/Chapters over Amazon, you’ve lost a customer with your move to close the Scarborough Chapters. Besides union busting being uncool and putting people out of work, you’re also removing access to books for east enders.

— okaybutno (@deepbluecurious) December 23, 2023

Indigo has been in the news frequently over the last year, from their massive financial losses due in large part to a major cyber attack, to the corporate musical chairs being played in the company's C-suite — so this attention, while not foreign, is likely unwelcome.

Chapters at Kennedy Commons will close permanently on Jan. 27.