Vancouver Airport Fuel Transport Workers Strike, Airlines Assure Minimal Disruption

Jet fuel transport workers at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) launched a strike Thursday evening amid ongoing negotiations for their first collective agreement.

The 11 workers, who are part of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) Local 502, handle the unloading and transport of jet fuel from deep-sea vessels to YVR. The unionized workers, who joined the ILWU earlier this year, are calling for improved hiring practices, pay increases, pension benefits, and severance packages.

At the center of the dispute is the union's demand that employer SGS Canada hire workers through the ILWU Dispatch Hall 502 in Surrey, B.C. The hall serves as a central location where longshore workers receive job assignments at the start of their shifts.

Union Priorities

Rob Ashton, president of ILWU Canada, emphasized the importance of the dispatch hall in maintaining fair and flexible hiring practices.

"The new longshore members that we have organized feel so strongly about the dispatch hall that they're willing to go on strike at Christmas time," Ashton said. "We don’t want to strike, but the employer is giving us no choice."

Ashton acknowledged progress on other issues, such as pay and pensions, thanks to the involvement of a federal mediator, but he described the dispatch hall as the pivotal issue that could either make or break negotiations.

Airport Operations Unaffected for Now

YVR and the airlines have sought to reassure travelers that the strike is unlikely to cause disruptions. A spokesperson for the Vancouver Airport Authority stated that airlines source jet fuel directly from suppliers, who deliver it through multiple channels, including truck, pipeline, and rail.

SGS Canada is responsible for transporting only a portion of the fuel on behalf of the airlines, the spokesperson explained, and the airport is working closely with FSM Management Group, which oversees fuel delivery and infrastructure for the airlines.

"We are advised by FSM that, at this time, they do not foresee an operational impact," the spokesperson said.

Next Steps

Negotiations between the union and SGS Canada are ongoing, with both parties reportedly making progress on certain aspects of the agreement. However, Ashton stressed that resolving the dispatch hall issue remains critical to reaching a deal and ending the strike.

The strike comes at a busy time for YVR, with the holiday travel season in full swing, but both the union and the airport authority are hopeful that further disruptions can be avoided.