Teamsters Local 213 and 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters finalize three-year collective agreement covering café, roastery, and office workers

The deal runs from August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2028 and includes wage increases of four per cent in each of 2026 and 2027, plus a $300 lump-sum ratification bonus, alongside expanded benefits cost-sharing and updated scheduling provisions.

At a glance

Union: Teamsters Local Union No. 213 (affiliated with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and Teamsters Canada)
Employer: 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Inc., Burnaby, B.C.
Province: British Columbia
Term: August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2028
Top wage: Master Roaster — $84,613.08/year (2025); rising to $91,517.51/year by 2027
Vacation: 10 days (4%) after one year; up to 20 days (8%) after 10 years of service
Benefits: Employer-paid group plan (extended health, dental, vision, life, AD&D) for eligible full-time and qualifying part-time employees; employer share escalates to 100% after 48 months of enrolment

Wages

Café Employees — Rates Per Hour

Classification	Aug. 1, 2025	Aug. 1, 2026	Aug. 1, 2027
Dishwasher	$18.25	$18.98	$19.74
Barista — 0 to 6 months*	$18.25	$18.98	$19.74
Barista — 6 to 12 months*	$18.75	$19.50	$20.28
Barista — 12 months and over	$19.25	$20.02	$20.82
Baker — 0 to 6 months*	$18.25	$18.98	$19.74
Baker — 6 to 12 months*	$18.75	$19.50	$20.28
Baker — 12 months and over	$19.25	$20.02	$20.82
Cook	$18.75	$19.50	$20.28
Supervisor	$20.35	$21.16	$22.01
Kitchen Team Lead	$21.72	$22.59	$23.49
Assistant Manager	$22.01	$22.89	$23.81

Progression rates apply to new hires only. No existing employee suffers a wage reduction due to the progression scale.

Office Employees — Rates Per Hour

Classification	Aug. 1, 2025	Aug. 1, 2026	Aug. 1, 2027
Accounts Payable	$23.69	$24.64	$25.62
Accounts Receivable	$23.69	$24.64	$25.62
Administration	$23.69	$24.64	$25.62

Salaried Employees — Annual

Classification	Aug. 1, 2025	Aug. 1, 2026	Aug. 1, 2027
Sous Chef	$47,383.33	$49,278.66	$51,249.80
Regional Pastry Chef	$48,511.50	$50,451.96	$52,470.03
Bookkeeper	$47,383.33	$49,278.66	$51,249.80
Project Specialist	$47,383.33	$49,278.66	$51,249.80
Service Tech	$62,049.59	$64,531.58	$67,112.84
Master Roaster	$84,613.08	$87,997.60	$91,517.51

Roastery & Warehouse Employees — Rates Per Hour

Classification	Aug. 1, 2025	Aug. 1, 2026	Aug. 1, 2027
Coffee Packer — 0 to 12 months*	$18.25	$18.98	$19.74
Coffee Packer — 12 to 18 months*	$18.75	$19.50	$20.28
Coffee Packer — 18 months and over	$19.75	$20.54	$21.36
Shipper/Receiver — 0 to 12 months*	$18.25	$18.98	$19.74
Shipper/Receiver — 12 to 18 months*	$18.75	$19.50	$20.28
Shipper/Receiver — 18 months and over	$19.75	$20.54	$21.36
Packaging Supervisor	$22.56	$23.46	$24.40
Quality Control Specialist	$25.38	$26.39	$27.45
Coffee Specialist	$22.28	$23.17	$24.09
Shipping & Receiving Supervisor	$21.44	$22.30	$23.19
Driver	$22.56	$23.46	$24.40
Service Tech Support Assistant	$20.31	$21.12	$21.97
Roaster	$24.82	$25.82	$26.85
Roaster Assistant	$21.15	$22.00	$22.88

Progression rates apply to new hires only.

General wage increases: Four per cent effective August 1, 2026; four per cent effective August 1, 2027.

Ratification bonus: All bargaining unit employees actively employed as of the date of ratification receive a one-time lump-sum payment of $300.

Gratuities: Tips collected at each location are pooled and distributed to eligible employees at that location via payroll, calculated on a per-hour-worked basis for the pay period.

Benefits

Full-time employees and part-time employees working a minimum of 25 hours per week become eligible for the group benefits plan on the first day of the month following 12 consecutive months of employment.
The group plan covers extended healthcare, prescription drugs, vision care, dental care, life insurance, and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance.
For all benefits except AD&D: the employee pays 50% of premiums for the first 24 months of enrolment; the split shifts to 25% employee / 75% employer from months 24 to 36; after 48 months of enrolment, the employer pays 100% of premiums.
Employees are responsible for 100% of AD&D premiums at all times.
The company may not alter the group plan or employee premium contributions without prior consultation with the union.
Casual employees are not eligible for the group benefits plan.
Employees on authorized leave of absence may continue benefits coverage but must pay both the employee and employer portions of premiums during the leave.

Hours, Overtime & Scheduling

Office staff: Five consecutive working days, Monday through Friday.
Roastery staff: Five consecutive working days of eight hours each, Monday through Saturday.
Café supervisors, assistant managers, and kitchen team leads: Five work days per week with a minimum of 30 hours.
Café schedules run Sunday through Saturday and are posted by Thursday at noon for the following week.
Café employees may request a change to their stated availability up to four times per year, with at least two weeks’ written notice before the change takes effect.
Shifts are assigned based on operational requirements, skills, and seniority, with preference for full-time employees.
All employees receive two consecutive days off where practicable; non-consecutive days off may be requested.
Each workday over five hours includes a 30-minute unpaid meal break and one paid 15-minute coffee break, both subject to operational requirements.
Shift changes required with less than 48 hours’ notice are to be worked on a voluntary basis only.
Overtime at the end of a shift is offered first to employees currently working, awarded by seniority among those qualified. All overtime requires company authorization.
Extra shifts and overtime are offered first to employees at the relevant location, on a seniority basis; if insufficient volunteers, the most senior qualified employee from outside the location is assigned.
The company retains the right to transfer employees between cafés and facilities; seniority governs such transfers, with volunteers preferred before reverse-seniority assignment.
An employee temporarily assigned to a higher-paid classification receives the higher rate; temporary assignment to a lower classification does not reduce regular pay.

Leaves & Time Off

Vacation Entitlement — Full-Time Employees

Years of Service	Days of Vacation	Vacation Pay (% of gross)
1–4 years	10 days	4%
5–9 years	15 days	6%
10–15 years	20 days	8%

The vacation year runs January 1 to December 31.
Employees completing their probationary period in their first year may take earned vacation days in accordance with operational requirements.
Senior employees receive preference for vacation scheduling, provided requests are submitted by November 1 each year.
If an employee is disabled by illness or accident after vacation begins, the period of verified disability is treated as sick leave and excluded from vacation.
Upon termination, accrued and unused vacation is paid out in cash; any vacation taken in excess of entitlement is recovered by the employer.

Vacation — Part-Time and Casual Employees

Part-time employees in years one through five: vacation pay at 4% of total wages earned.
Part-time employees with five or more years of service: vacation pay at 6% of total wages from the previous year of employment.
Casual employees: vacation pay at 4% of total wages.

General Holidays

Holiday
New Year’s Day
Family Day
Good Friday
Victoria Day
Canada Day
B.C. Day
Labour Day
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Thanksgiving Day
Remembrance Day
Christmas Day

Employees who work on a general holiday receive their regular holiday pay plus time-and-a-half (1.5×) for all hours worked on that day. Any additional statutory holiday declared by the provincial government during the term of the agreement is also provided.

Other Leaves

Bereavement leave — immediate family: Up to three consecutive paid working days upon the death of a spouse, parent, step-parent, sibling, child, grandparent, grandchild, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law, or brother-in-law.
Bereavement leave — extended family: One paid day to attend the funeral of an aunt, uncle, cousin, or other family member not listed above.
Union activities leave: Shop stewards may receive up to two weeks of unpaid leave per year to attend union conferences, workshops, or conventions, subject to advance notice and operational requirements. No more than two employees may be away simultaneously; combined leaves are capped at 40 days per calendar year.
Full-time union appointment leave: Employees elected or appointed to a full-time union position may receive a leave of absence for up to one year.
Trial period outside the bargaining unit: Employees accepting a position outside the bargaining unit may return within the three-month probationary period without loss of seniority; seniority is not retained after that period.
BC Employment Standards Act: All statutory leaves required under the ESA (including parental, compassionate care, and others) apply where the agreement is silent.

Other Highlights

Job Security, Layoff & Recall

Seniority is measured from the date of regular employment and operates on a “first hired, last off” basis, subject to ability, experience, and qualifications.
New employees serve a 90-calendar-day probationary period; seniority is backdated to the hire date upon successful completion.
In layoffs, department seniority governs first; company seniority applies if department seniority is equal.
Seniority accumulates during all approved leaves of absence up to 24 months and during layoffs of up to nine months.
Employees laid off must be recalled in reverse order of layoff within nine months, provided they have the qualifications for available work. Failure to report within 10 days of registered-mail or email recall notice constitutes termination.
Casual employees within a department and location are terminated before permanent employees are laid off.
Seniority is lost upon resignation, discharge for just cause, failure to respond to recall, three consecutive unauthorized absences, retirement, or layoff exceeding nine months.
The company must notify the union in writing before eliminating any position permanently or temporarily.
Technological change: the company must provide the union at least 60 days’ written notice before introducing any measure, policy, practice, or change that significantly affects the terms, conditions, or security of employment of bargaining unit members.

Grievance & Arbitration

Any complaint concerning interpretation or application of the agreement is considered a grievance and must be filed within 15 calendar days of the event (30 days for payroll errors).
The procedure moves through informal resolution, then three formal written steps, with defined response timelines at each step.
Unresolved grievances may be referred to a single arbitrator, to be agreed upon within 30 calendar days or appointed by the minister responsible for the B.C. Labour Relations Code.
The arbitrator’s decision is final and binding; the arbitrator cannot alter or amend the collective agreement. Costs are shared equally.
Disciplinary actions must be documented in writing within 30 calendar days of the conclusion of an investigation; failure to do so nullifies the discipline. Disciplinary records are removed from an employee’s file after 24 months. Suspended or discharged employees receive written reasons within 72 hours (excluding weekends and holidays).
Employees have the right to union representation (a shop steward) at any meeting that could lead to discipline.

Health & Safety

The company is required to make reasonable provisions for employee health and safety during working hours and to maintain proper first-aid kits at each location as required by WorkSafe BC.
A joint safety committee comprised of at least one bargaining unit member from each location must be maintained.
If an employee is required to obtain or upgrade a first-aid certificate, the company covers the cost and pays the employee at their regular rate for training time.
An employee injured at work who cannot complete their shift is paid for the remainder of that shift.

Harassment-Free Workplace & Non-Discrimination

The company and union are jointly committed to maintaining a workplace free from bullying, harassment, and discrimination on all grounds prohibited under the B.C. Human Rights Code.
The company must maintain a discrimination, harassment, and bullying policy consistent with these principles.
Nothing in the article limits employees’ rights under applicable employment standards, occupational health and safety legislation, or human rights law, or their right to report criminal offences to law enforcement.

Source Document

49th Parallel Coffee Roasters Inc. / Teamsters Local 213 — Collective Agreement, August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2028 (PDF, Labour Relations Board of British Columbia)