Vancouver airport janitors ratify contract, end 5-day job action
Janitors had planned to extend picketing activity on Christmas Eve
Striking janitors at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) say they have suspended a planned Christmas Eve escalation and have now ratified a new contract with their employer, Alpine Building Maintenance.
Janitors with Local 2 of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) say they had planned to set up lawful picket lines at undisclosed areas of the airport on Tuesday.
The 233 cleaners at the airport began job action on Thursday evening, and had been rallying at the airport's designated demonstration area since Friday morning.
In a statement sent around 3:30 p.m. PT Tuesday, SEIU Local 2 said a tentative deal had been ratified, and some janitors would return as early as that afternoon.
The cleaners, who have been without a contract since September, had been pushing for higher wages of around $25 per hour.
In the union statement announcing the contract ratification, SEIU Local 2 said that all of its workers would receive that hourly wage at the end of 2025.
"There will be a raise of $1.29 in April bringing pay to $24.55 per hour," the statement read. "A second wage hike in October will bring wages to $25. There will be more raises in 2026."
The union says there are more benefits included in the new contract, but a demand for retirement security was not answered in the ratified agreement.
It says that retirement security would be a priority in the next round of bargaining in two years.
Leta Hill, the COO of Alpine Building Maintenance, said in a statement that they had resumed normal operations around 3 p.m. PT.
"We thank the passengers and YVR Airport Authority during this time for their patience and support," she said.
SEIU Local 2 says it represents 20,000 workers in B.C., Alberta, Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.
With files from The Canadian Press