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Striking Richmond workers want Air Canada to support hotel picket lines

The union claims Air Canada has been sending passengers over the picket line
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Sheraton workers and their allies gathered outside Sheraton Vancouver Airport on Minoru Boulevard last month to mark one month since they walked off the job. Galileo Cheng photo

Striking hotel workers are protesting at Vancouver International Airport asking Air Canada to not send passengers across their picket lines, like other airlines have done.

UNITE HERE Local 40, the union representing Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel workers, said they were planning a protest outside Air Canada’s gates on Friday morning.

The union claims the airline is sending passengers to Sheraton's neighbouring sister hotels, Hilton Vancouver Airport and Marriott Vancouver Airport hotels.

A representative from Air Canada has declined to comment on "third party matters."

Last week, the union was granted permission by the B.C. Labour Board to extend its picket line to the Hilton and the Marriott, which are under the same management and located within the same city block.

According to the union, five airlines — WestJet, Porter Airlines, UPS, American Airlines and Japan Airlines — withdrew their business from these hotels in support of the strike while Air Canada continues to “send flight passengers over the picket line.”

Workers at Sheraton Vancouver Airport hotel walked off the job on June 14 demanding fair wages. The BC Federation of Labour also declared a public boycott of the three hotels.

Since the strike began, Sheraton Vancouver Airport has received four cease and desists from the Labour Board after being caught using scabs and moving guests to other properties.

The hotel, on the other hand, is suing the union for allegedly creating excessive noise and intimidating workers crossing the picket line