Cara Flight Kitchen contract victory!

Hundreds of Cara Flight Kitchen workers at the Vancouver Airport have a new union contract. A big victory for Cara workers, the new contract includes a 10% wage increase over 3 years for everyone and a 13% wage increase for the lowest job classifications. Also in the contract: pension contribution increases of over 35%, significant improvements to health care including a doubling of the vision benefit, increase in the dental reimbursement from 80% to 90% and increases in paramedical benefits (acupuncture, physiotherapy, chiropractic and massage therapy). All of this comes during a time when the airline industry is in real economic distress.

“Even though the economy is difficult, we won a fair contract. I feel good this time about the committee. The process was open, anyone could say what they wanted, and we worked together from our hearts to win our contract,” said Tian Ye.

More Cara rank and file organizing committee leaders participated in this round of bargaining than ever before.

“I feel proud and stronger than ever with our contract. We are more united as members of Local 40. We started early, we developed a good organizing team, getting all the members educated and involved,” said Eddie Tang.

More than 80% of Cara workers ratified the new contract on Tuesday.