CN Tower workers ratify tentative agreement, ending 2-week lockout: union

Workers at the CN Tower have voted to ratify a tentative agreement with their employer, ending a lockout that lasted nearly two weeks, the union representing them says. 

Members of Unifor Local 4271 approved the agreement with Canada Lands Company — the federal Crown corporation that owns and operates the CN Tower — in a vote held on Sunday, according to a Unifor news release. 

The union represents more than 250 food and beverage workers at the CN Tower, including hosts, wait staff, bartenders, chefs, cooks, butchers and other hospitality employees.

The union began negotiating with Canada Lands Company in April. Talks reached a standstill in late June, and workers were locked out from the CN Tower the day before Canada Day. 

The CN Tower says it's "pleased" to have an agreement on the new contract, which means its food establishments will reopen on Tuesday.

The union said the new three-year collective agreement includes increases in wages and improves benefits across health, dental and vision care, gratuity policy and annual retirement allowances.

Workers who do not earn gratuities will see annual increases of 4.25 per cent, the union said. Those who do earn gratuities will see a four per cent raise in the first year, followed by 2.5 per cent increases in each of the next two years. 

Le Café cooks will additionally receive a $1 per hour raise, and utility attendants will receive 50 cents more per hour, the news release said. 

The agreement also includes a commitment to "stabilize hours of operation" and the hiring of a third-party consultant to review the pension plan, the union said. 

Coverage for hearing aids and safety shoes will be expanded, and the waiting period for part-time employees to access benefits will be reduced from two years to one.

"This contract focuses on our members' priorities, including fair pay and better working conditions in one of Canada's top tourist destinations," Unifor Ontario Regional Director Samia Hashi said in a statement.

Unifor is Canada's largest private-sector union, representing 320,000 workers across the country.

Restaurant operations at the CN Tower are expected to resume on Tuesday, the union said.