Strike could lead to hungry travellers on flights at Pearson Airport in Mississauga, Ontario
Published April 15, 2024 at 10:29 am
Travellers taking flights out of town from Pearson Airport in Mississauga could be without in-flight snacks, meals and drinks starting Tuesday should workers at a large airline catering company in Toronto go on strike.
In a news release, Teamsters Local Union 647, which represents some 800 workers at Gate Gourmet, said employees there could take strike action as early as April 16. The union reportedly said a strike seems inevitable and it could leave passengers on about one-quarter of the daily flights leaving Pearson (about 100 or more) with fewer or no snacks, meals and beverages.
The workers prepare and deliver meals, snacks, beverages and other supplies for passengers and crew on board hundreds of planes each day that depart Canada’s biggest and busiest airport.
In its news release, the union noted Gate Gourmet is “by far the largest airline catering company operating out of Toronto” and airlines that would be impacted by a strike include the country’s two biggest carriers, Air Canada and WestJet.
Other potentially affected airlines include United Airlines, Delta Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Air India, Aero Mexico, SAS Scandinavian Airlines and Canadian carrier Jetlines.
In an email statement to insauga.com, WestJet spokesperson Julia Kaiser said last week the airline has a plan to accommodate passengers should there be a strike.
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“We are aware of the potential labour action being taken by Gate Gourmet,” the statement from WestJet reads. “In preparation, our catering team has proactively prepared contingency plans to mitigate impact to WestJet’s operations in Toronto to ensure we can continue providing food and beverage for our guests onboard our aircraft.”
Air Canada, meanwhile, didn’t say if it had a contingency plan in place, saying in a statement only that “We are aware of this situation, but at this point it is premature to speculate.”
The Teamsters union represents about 3,000 food industry workers across Ontario.
The union said a strike could mean no food and beverages on many flights leaving Pearson Airport.
“We are in a cost-of-living crisis, but Gate Gourmet is ignoring their employees’ families’ basic needs and won’t agree to pay workers a living wage,” lead union negotiator and president of Teamsters Local Union 647 Martin Cerqua said in the news release.
“We’re going on strike unless this company steps up to the plate and finally acknowledges how expensive life has gotten.”
The union insists workers are paid well below industry standards and it’s seeking to close the gap.
Gate Gourmet has also slashed staffing levels since the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to a rise in workplace accidents as employees struggle to maintain productivity levels, the Teamsters said.
(Cover photo: Pearson Airport X)
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