VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Dec. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The janitors who clean Vancouver's International Airport have ratified a new collective agreement. The strike at the airport ended on one of the busiest travel days of the year.
Strike action was set to escalate today, however SEIU Local 2 suspended those actions and was able to quickly organize a ratification vote for the 233 janitors working for Alpine Building Maintenance (Alpine).
The workers had set out to win $25 per hour, an overnight shift premium and retirement security.
"We're happy because it won't be long before we reach the $25 we were looking for and the premiums will help many of us as well,” said Goutam Luthra, one of the cleaners. "No one ever wants to go on strike, but sometimes you just have to make a stand.”
Every janitor will be at $25 per hour or higher in 2025. There will be a raise of $1.29 in April bringing pay to $24.55 per hour. A second wage hike in October will bring wages to $25. There will be more raises in 2026. In addition to the raises, there is also premium pay for lead hands and hours worked overnight. The cleaning contractor has also committed to providing the living wage over the course of the two-year agreement. Their medical benefits package remains intact.
While there is relief that the strike is over, the big demand the janitors didn't win was retirement security. It will be made a priority in the next round of bargaining and workers say they look forward to coming back to the table in two years when they will continue the fight for that and other improvements.
"We didn't win everything we wanted, but we think it's a good deal and this experience brought us closer together,” said Varinder Singh, one of the overnight workers. "We know our job here is not done. Our grandparents shouldn't have to keep on working well into their senior years just because they can't afford to retire. We need to do better, and we will fight for that next time.”
Back to Work
The parties agreed to a back-to-work protocol.
Alpine will recall all striking employees to their first regularly scheduled shift following today's the ratification vote, with no loss of seniority and/or service by virtue of their absence during the strike.
Some workers may be back as early as this afternoon.
The employer agreed that there will be no discipline, termination of employment, discrimination, intimidation, interference, restraint, coercion, recrimination or reprisal action of any kind whatsoever against union members for their participation in the strike and strike related activities.
The Union agreed to publicly rescind any notification of job actions and any escalating activities.
Background
The janitors' job action began last Thursday evening. The workers and their supporters had been gathering at YVR's designated "Authorized Demonstration Area,” Chester Johnson Park, since Friday morning. That was set change on Christmas Eve, as the cleaners planned to exercise their right to set up lawful picket lines at undisclosed areas of the airport and ask airport workers who have the legal right to honour picket lines to not cross.
The janitors' contract expired at the end of September. They clean nearly the entire airport including the terminals, bathrooms, hallways, exterior, and airport operations facilities on both sides of 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 dynamic union in North America.
Media Contact:
Tina Oh
(902) 955-9966
