More than 200 food workers at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) initiated a one-day strike on June 27 to demand a $25 living wage.
UNITE HERE Local 40, the union representing concession workers employed by contractor SSP America, announced that picket lines were set up at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday.
SSP America operates 13 food outlets at the airport, namely: Freshii, Thai Hang, Urban Crave, Whistler Brewhouse, LIFT Bar and Grill, Church’s Chicken, Sal y Limón, Banh Shop, Nourish, Dirty Apron, Tru Burger, Rice Tales and El Chiquito.
The strike came after the workers turned down SSP's latest offer during negotiations for their first collective agreement, said the union.
Workers had voted in favour of strike action in March.
The union sought permission from the Labour Relations Board (LRB) to permit picketing inside the airport but was denied on June 28.
In his decision, LRB vice-chair Gurleen Sahota found the Vancouver Airport Authority is not considered a person under the Labour Relations Code, and the union did not allege any contraventions of the Code. As such, he could not order the airport authority to let union members picket in front of individual struck food and beverage outlets in the airport.
In response to the strike, SSP Canada said it looked forward to "continued conversations" with the union and hopes to successfully conclude negotiations "as soon as possible.
"We appreciate the valuable contribution our employees make in our combined efforts to provide that service," reads SSP Canada's statement to the Richmond news.
"SSP Canada has negotiated in good faith with the Unite Here Local 40, and we’re proud of the offer we put on the table."
UNITE HERE Local 40 issued a report earlier this month stating that the average wage for YVR food and beverage workers falls below the living wage for Metro Vancouver.
On average, YVR concession workers earn $18.27 per hour and the 2023 living wage for Metro Vancouver was $25.68 per hour, according to the union.
The report also stated racialized women were most affected by wage discrepancies, with 80 per cent of the concession workers being female and 80 per cent of those sampled being visible minorities.
The union also criticized SSP Canada in February for not reimbursing staff working early morning or late night shifts for costs of taking taxis and Ubers outside of SkyTrain hours.
Meanwhile, aircraft maintenance engineers at WestJet issued a second strike notice on Wednesday and could go on strike as early as June 28. The possibility of a strike has prompted WestJet to cancel about 25 flights between June 27 and 28.
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