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Ikea and union strike a deal after 17 month dispute

Store will fully open in December
Ikea
Derek Drake and Alix MacDonald walk the picket line outside the Ikea store in Richmond.

Ikea Canada announced Wednesday afternoon a 17-month labour dispute between the furniture giant and its Teamsters employees is over.

But the store, on Viking Way, will not be fully operational until mid December.

The deal was brokered by mediator Vince Ready.

"Mr. Ready has recognized that the company’s offer is fair and generous and he has ruled that all employees who crossed the picket line to perform their own jobs during the strike shall remain employed at IKEA Richmond," noted an Ikea news release.

Bringing back picket line crossers was a source of contention for the union. The union expressed the opinion that crossers, who were subsequently kicked out of the union, ought not to be back on a union floor.

According to Ikea the company is providing employees with a "generous" wage offer, in addition to benefits, including a new health care spending account.

@WestcoastWood

gwood@richmond-news.com