Canada’s largest private sector union says it has reached an agreement with the Crown corporation operating the CN Tower, ending a two-week labour disruption at the downtown landmark. Restaurant operations are expected to resume Tuesday at 360, VUE Bistros and Le Café.
Members of Unifor Local 4271, which represents more than 250 food and beverage workers at the iconic tourist site, voted to approve the deal in a ratification vote held on Sunday. The workers had been locked out since just before Canada Day.
The CN Tower thanked employees for their professionalism amid the labour disruption and said the attraction is thrilled to have reached a deal in a post on X on Sunday night.
“We thank our guests and our neighbours for their patience, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to enjoy the full range of experiences the CN Tower has to offer.”
The new three-year collective agreement contains “significant wage improvements” for union members, who include hosts, wait staff, bartenders, chefs, cooks and butchers, Unifor said in an online statement. Non-gratuity earners will get annual wage increases of 4.25 per cent and gratuity earners will see increases of 4 per cent in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent in each of the next two years.
Plus, cooks at Le Café will receive a $1 per hour raise, and utility attendants will receive 50 cents more per hour.
Other key gains include enhanced health, dental and vision benefits and a reduced wait time for part-time employee benefits, the union said. Canada Lands Company also agreed to improve the gratuity policy and annual retirement allowances, committed to stabilize hours of operations and hire a third-party consultant to review the pension plan, according to Unifor.
“This is a win for hospitality workers everywhere who deserve better,” Unifor Ontario regional director Samia Hashi said in the statement.
“This victory shows what happens when workers stand together and refuse to settle for less,” Unifor national president Lana Payne added in the statement. “These members kept the pressure on, raised their voices, and fought for the respect they’ve always deserved.”
