Press Release: Canadian Skies’ Low-Wage Jobs at YVR Raise Alarm as Airport Privatization Looms

New survey exposes the reality of low-wage work at YVR, offering a glimpse of what could lie ahead for airport workers under privatization

Vancouver, BC — A new survey of workers at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) reveals financial hardship, low wages and unfair workplace practices at Canadian Skies Hospitality, the Alberta-based company operating White Spot and Triple O’s restaurants at the airport.

UNITE HERE Local 40 has released a new report, Under Canadian Skies Hospitality, Workers Pay the Price, which exposes a divide in employment standards at North America’s top-rated airport, particularly as Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government moves to open Canada’s major airports to private investment. The report warns that Canadian Skies’ low-wage employment model could foreshadow a broader erosion of wages, benefits and job security if privatization turns airport jobs into a source of cost-cutting rather than a foundation of quality service.

The survey of Canadian Skies workers found:

53% hold multiple jobs to supplement their income, while 68% say they cannot support themselves or their families on current hours.
Average wages are $18.89 an hour, about $6 below the average $25 entry-level wage at competing unionized airport concessions operators.
67% identify housing as their most difficult expense, while 33% say transportation is their biggest financial challenge.
29% face commutes of more than an hour, compounded by shifts that start or end outside regular transit hours.
68% consider the company’s tip-pooling system unfair, including workers who say management takes a significant share of tips despite not performing server or bartender duties. A worker has filed a complaint with the B.C. Employment Standards Branch alleging that managers who do not perform serving or bartending duties receive approximately $500 per week from the tip pool.

A look at wages for line cooks highlights the disparity: Canadian Skies pays an average of $19.01 per hour for the position, compared with up to $27.25 per hour at competing unionized airport operators. The Metro Vancouver living wage, which reflects what a worker needs to cover basic expenses, is currently $27.85 per hour.

A warning sign for airport privatization: The federal government’s plans to open Canada’s major airports to private investment raise questions about the future of airport jobs. Canadian Skies’ expansion at YVR offers an example of what happens when companies compete by squeezing labour costs. Although YVR has established a standard for its own workforce as a living wage employer, concession workers at the same airport can earn significantly less and face fewer workplace supports.

UNITE HERE Local 40 calls for higher standards and accountability: Canadian Skies workers at White Spot and Triple O’s unionized last year and are now negotiating their first collective agreement. The Union is calling for four measures to improve conditions and protect employment standards across YVR’s concessions:

Fair wages and benefits: Bring Canadian Skies compensation in line with standards achieved by other unionized airport operators.
Fair and transparent tip distribution: Establish clear tip-pooling policies and ensure workers’ gratuities are not used to subsidize management compensation.
Transit support: Introduce a transit subsidy comparable to those offered by other unionized concession operators.
Accountability across airport concessions: Require YVR to establish clear employment standards, monitor concessionaires’ compliance and to take action when operators fall short.

“Airport workers shouldn’t have to work two jobs to make ends meet while providing critical services at one of Canada’s busiest airports,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “YVR must ensure its commitment to fair employment standards extends to every airport worker, regardless of who operates its concessions or who may ultimately invest in the airport.”

Media Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785