Living Wage

Vancouver Airport Authority / L'Administration de l’aéroport de Vancouver is a certified Living Wage Employer, which means we are committed to paying our employees at or above the designated living wage for Metro Vancouver. Companies which provide direct contracted services to the Airport Authority in support of operations and maintenance, such as janitorial, landscaping and traffic management, are also required to pay a living wage to their employees at the airport.   

We are also a vocal champion and supporter of Living Wage - not only is it the right thing to do for the community we serve, but it’s also the smart thing to do. Paying a living wage helps ensure no one is left behind in affording basic expenses, helps reduce financial stress and provides greater opportunity to participate in enriching experiences in communities.  As an adopter of Living Wage, YVR is working to help inform other employers of the benefits and approach of this voluntary program. In collaboration with Living Wage BC, the airport will host a Living Wage seminar for employers operating on Sea Island and will also host a similar session for organized labour.  This is in addition to other efforts to make Living Wage initiative more prominent across Sea Island to foster support for this important program.

In 2022 YVR was certified as a Living Wage employer by Living Wage BC, the organization that created and oversee the Living Wage program.  All 900 plus of the airport’s employees, who are represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), are paid at or above the living wage. YVR and PSAC recently successfully negotiated a new 4-year collective bargaining agreement ensuring continued support for the Living Wage program.  As YVR nears completion of our second year as a certified Living Wage employer, we are directly working with Living Wage for Families BC to engage and encourage other organizations to join the program, which seeks to address working poverty and the challenges of disadvantaged groups.  

How does the living wage formula work? It’s designated by Living Wage for Families B.C. and is the hourly rate of pay at which a household (two adults, two children) can meet its basic expenses. To learn more about Living Wage for Families B.C. go to their website. For more information on our journey to becoming the first Living Wage Airport contact [email protected]