Toronto Pearson Airline catering workers strike after rejection of latest offer: Union

The airline's food workers' union, Gate Gourmet, has announced that it has officially gone on strike, rejecting the latest offer from the airline's catering company.

Teamsters Local Union 647 reported Nearly 99 percent of the company's 800-plus workers out of Toronto Pearson Airport voted to strike last week.

On Monday night, 96 percent of workers rejected the latest offer, with about 80 percent voting. The strike will officially begin at 12:01 a.m. and they are expected to begin picketing.

The teams' director of public relations, Christopher Monette, told CityNews that the proposal did not resolve their salary concerns.

Workers are tasked with preparing, packing, and delivering food, snacks, beverages, and other supplies to aircraft for in-flight service.

“The labor dispute will be devastating, with Air Canada the worst hit. We expect many flights to leave Pearson with little or no food,” Monette said in a statement.

Airlines affected by the strike include Air Canada, West Jet, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Air India, Aero Mexico, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Jetlines.

A Teamsters Canada spokesperson confirmed to CityNews last week that the walkout will disrupt 230 to 250 flights a day, which equates to about 25 percent of the daily flights that go through Toronto Pearson.

The union says workers at Gate Gourmet in Toronto are being paid well below industry standards, at between $17.69 and $20 an hour, and wants to close the gap.

“The cost of living crisis in the GTA is severe, some at Gate Gourmet are now struggling to pay rent and buy groceries. Even so, the company suspended negotiations this weekend and presented a “final offer” that includes an hourly increase of up to 89 cents, union president Martin Cerqua said.