A union representing a group of airport employees in the service industry at Vancouver International Airport is continuing its fight to see a $15 per hour mandatory minimum wage.
Fipe Wong, an HMSHost employee who has worked as a first cook at the airport for 23 years still only makes $16.50 per hour, forcing her to take on other part-time work.
Richmond resident and YVR worker Fipe Wong is advocating for fairer wages at the airport. June, 2017. (Richmond News)
“I’ve worked two jobs ever since I started working at the airport. I had to,” Wong told the Richmond News.
“I spoke to a lot of people who work here in the airport. They’re struggling on a daily basis just to make ends meet, so it’s been really difficult.”
In May, Wong and others from a vocal group of airport workers represented by the UNITE HERE Local 40 union, took a petition to the CEO of YVR, Craig Richmond, asking the airport to again consider a $15 per hour minimum wage.
“(Richmond) wrote us a response and he doesn’t seem to agree. He’s saying it’s the mandate of the provincial government to set the minimum wage level,” Wong said. “I don’t think they’re willing to take any responsibility.”
A representative from YVR confirmed with the News that the airport responded to the petition in a letter from Richmond, outlining YVR’s support for the provincial government’s plan to increase the minimum wage. The letter also indicated that YVR is committed to having a wage policy in place by next year. A copy of this letter was not made available to the News.
For Wong however, the airport needs to take responsibility for its workers.
“They have the power. I don’t think they should wait for the government,” she said, pointing out that other airports such as Seattle-Tacoma International Airport have introduced a $15 mandatory minimum wage already.
“Anybody who works in the airport itself should be making $15.”
In addition to a mandatory minimum wage, Wong says she hopes workers see stronger job security. Currently, businesses have five to eight year-long leases, and if a new business takes over the space after a lease is up, workers often need to re-apply for their jobs and may lose their benefits.
“I am in the union and if a non-union company comes in I will lose all my benefits,” Wong explained, adding that there have been several times where a business’ lease has not been renewed, forcing her to re-apply for her position.
“I’m just lucky I’m in the union, I can get to move to a different store. People who are not in the union in the airport, they don’t get that choice. They just go home.”
Moving ahead in their campaign, Wong says the union is speaking to community members and gathering support from other unions to fight for a mandatory minimum wage.
“We were the only one doing the campaign,” she said. “Now we want other unions and the community to work with us…I think it would move a lot faster and be more powerful.”
