YVR airline caterers start job action

Some airline workers at B.C.’s busiest airport started a job action Monday, as they call for wage increases and better healthcare benefits.

Vancouver International Airport employees of Gate Gourmet, an airline catering business, who are members of UNITE HERE Local 40 have brought in an overtime ban as of 12 p.m.

In an email to CityNews, Michelle Travis from the union said the move is “significant because many of the workers are having to work overtime to make up for staff shortages.”

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Announcing the strike action last week, Unite Here said that while big airlines such as Air Canada gave $10 million to its executive leadership bonuses, contracted airline catering workers have been left behind.

“Protracted pandemic layoffs led to a significant reduction in airline catering staff, and staffing levels have yet to recover as air travel has rapidly resurged,” the notice read.

“Airline catering workers have been working day in and day out, serving travelers through the pandemic. As tourism came back this year and consumer prices hit 31-year highs, we are overworked and underpaid. We’ve attempted to address these issues in good faith with the company, but they continue to propose low wage increases and cuts to our health benefits. This has left us with no other choice but to issue a strike notice,” says Kiran Hundal, a Gate Gourmet tray assembly worker and bargaining committee member, in the strike notice.

Gate Gourmet is one of the world’s largest independent providers of catering for airlines, and according to the strike notice, serves about 250 million meals annually.

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