If you're planning on catching a flight and want to grab a snack at the airport, that might not be possible on Thursday.
More than 200 food service employees at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) have walked out of their jobs after their union began a strike.
According to Unite Here Local 40, the union that represents the workers, food servers, waiters, cooks, dishwashers and other workers set up picket lines at 4:30 a.m. PST for what they called a “one-day strike action.”
The airport itself is not the subject of the labor dispute, but rather the dispute between the union and its employer, SSP America.
YVR says it hopes the two sides can reach an agreement at the negotiating table as soon as possible.
The union said it had rejected the company's latest job offers, adding that food service employees are among the airport's lowest paid staff.
The airport is a living wage certified employer, but the union says the average hourly wage for concession staff is $7.41 less than the $25.68 calculated by the B.C. Living Wage for Families, which the airport authority uses as a benchmark.
The workers are employed by SSP Canada, which operates 13 of YVR's 41 food and beverage outlets, according to a statement from the airport authority.
As a result of the strike, 11 of SSP's 13 stores have been closed.
CityNews has reached out to SSP America for comment.
