Gate Gourmet employees to head back to work after ratifying tentative deal

Airline caterer Gate Gourmet says its employees have voted in favour of a tentative deal with management, putting them back on the job as of Tuesday. A sign for Toronto Pearson International Airport is pictured in Mississauga, Ont., on Thursday, April 20, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Arlyn McAdorey

TORONTO — Airline caterer Gate Gourmet says its employees have voted in favour of a tentative deal with management, putting them back on the job as soon as today.

About 800 food service workers at Toronto’s Pearson airport went on strike on April 16, leaving thousands of passengers without meals.

The employees cook, package and deliver food and drinks to planes for service on board, with Air Canada and WestJet having to limit meal offerings during the two-week job action.

Gate Gourmet says it will return to regular operations at Pearson “as soon as possible.”

The collective agreement comes after Ontario mediators called picketing workers back to the table Friday for talks with the Swiss-owned company.

Gate Gourmet is the largest airline catering company operating out of Toronto, with clients that include United Airlines and Delta Air Lines and operations across 33 countries, including eight airports in Canada.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.

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The Canadian Press