Hundreds of unionized YVR food service workers strike

If you’ve got a flight to catch and want to grab a bite at the airport, you might not be able to do that on Thursday.

Over 200 food service workers at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) walked off the job, as their union began strike action.

Unite Here Local 40, the union that represents the workers, says food attendants, servers, cooks, dishwashers, and other workers set up picket lines at 4:30 a.m. PT for what’s described as a “one-day strike action.”

The airport itself isn’t a part of the labour dispute — it’s between the union and its employer SSP America.

YVR says it wants both sides to reach a deal at the bargaining table as soon as possible.

The union says it rejected the company’s latest job offer, adding that food service workers are among the lowest-paid staff at the airport.

The airport is a certified living-wage employer but the union says the average hourly wage for concession staff is $7.41 less than the $25.68 calculated by Living Wage for Families B.C. — the benchmark the airport authority says it uses.

The workers are employed by SSP Canada, which operates 13 of the 41 food and beverage outlets at YVR, according to a statement from the airport authority.

It says 11 out of SSP’s 13 locations are closed as a result of the strike.

CityNews has reached out to SSP America for comment.