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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Janitors cleaning Vancouver International Airport have accepted a new collective agreement. The strike at the airport ended one of the busiest travel days of the year.
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Strike action was scheduled to resume today, however SEIU Local 2 called off those actions and was able to quickly schedule a confirmation vote for the 233 janitors who work for Alpine Building Maintenance (Alpine).
The workers were willing to win $25 an hour, premium shift work and job security.
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“We are happy because it won’t take long for us to reach the $25 we wanted and the premiums will help many of us,” said Goutam Luthra, one of the cleaners. “Nobody ever wants to strike, but sometimes you have to take part.”
Every janitor will be at $25 an hour or more by 2025. There will be a $1.29 raise in April bringing the pay to $24.55 an hour. A second wage increase in October will bring wages to $25. There will be a further increase in 2026. In addition to the promotion, there is also premium pay for lead hands and night hours worked. The cleaning contractor is also committed to providing a living wage during the two-year contract. Their medical benefits package remains the same.
Although there is relief that the strike is over, the biggest demand they have not received is from those who monitor security when they retire. It will be prioritized in the next round of negotiations and workers say they look forward to returning to the table in two years when they will continue to fight for that and more.
“We didn’t win everything we wanted, but we think it’s a good thing and this event has brought us closer,” said Varinder Singh, one of the night workers. “We know that our work here is not finished. Our grandparents should not continue to work well until they grow up because they do not have money for retirement. We need to do better, and we will strive for that in the future.”
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Back to Work
The parties have agreed on a return-to-work protocol.
Alpine will recall all striking workers to their first scheduled shift after today’s ratification vote, without loss of seniority and/or service due to their absence during the strike.
Some workers may return this afternoon.
The employer agrees that there will be no disciplinary action, termination of employment, discrimination, intimidation, interference, restraint, coercion, blame or retaliation of any kind against union members for their participation in the strike and strike-related activities.
The union agreed to publicly withdraw any notice of industrial action and any increased jobs.
It’s the background
The work of the guards started last Thursday evening. Workers and their supporters have been gathering at YVR’s designated “Authorized Protest Area,” Chester Johnson Park, since Friday morning. That changed on Christmas Eve, as cleaners planned to exercise their right to set up picnic lines in undisclosed areas of the airport and ask airport workers who have a legal right to respect pick-up lines not to cross them.
The guards’ contract expired at the end of September. They clean almost the entire airport including the terminals, bathrooms, corridors, exterior, and airport work areas on both sides of the security checkpoints.
For more information visit www.YVRjanitorStrike.ca
SEIU Local 2 represents 20,000 workers in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. We are proud members of the largest, fastest growing, and most powerful union in North America.
Media Contact:
We Oh
(902) 955-9966
toh@seiulocal2.ca
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