SFU Food Service Workers Vote 98% in Favour of Strike Action for a $27 Living Wage

Burnaby, BC – Food service workers at Simon Fraser University (SFU), employed by Compass Group Canada, have voted 98% in favour of strike action. The 215 workers are represented by BC’s hospitality union, UNITE HERE Local 40.

“We were told we’d finally get a living wage, but Compass has failed to deliver,” said Nouha Ishaq, a food service worker at SFU. “It’s getting harder and harder to make ends meet in this city. Many of us are working full-time and still struggling to afford food, rent, and transportation.”

Despite SFU’s stated commitment to implementing a living wage for third-party contractors, workers say their paycheques prove otherwise.

This week, workers delivered a petition signed by 500 SFU students demanding that Compass pay its food service staff a living wage. Students rallied alongside workers in a powerful show of solidarity on April 23, calling on SFU to hold its contractor accountable for fair and just compensation.

SFU Compass workers prepare and serve meals across the Burnaby campus and are the frontline staff at key dining locations. Many have worked through the pandemic and continue to play a vital role in the university’s operations, yet still earn wages significantly below the Metro Vancouver living wage, currently $27.05/hour.

The workers have been in bargaining since February. Their current contract is set to expire on Wednesday April 30.

UNITE HERE Local 40 represents approximately 5,500 hospitality workers including hotels, airports, camp service, and food service workers across the province, and has recently secured major gains for all workers in these areas.

Contact: Rifat Islam, [email protected], 604-619-0798