“Time is up for Dexterra”: SEIU Local 2 issues second Unfair Labour Practice complaint about the company

VANCOUVER and TORONTO, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SEIU Local 2 has now filed two unfair labour practice complaints against Dexterra Group, one in British Columbia and the other in Ontario, raising critical questions about whether public agencies should continue its relationship with the cleaning contractor. “Taken together, the two complaints paint a troubling [...]

VANCOUVER and TORONTO, July 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SEIU Local 2 has now filed two unfair labour practice complaints against Dexterra Group, one in British Columbia and the other in Ontario, raising critical questions about whether public agencies should continue its relationship with the cleaning contractor. “Taken together, the two complaints paint a troubling picture of a company facing allegations of undermining workers’ rights in two of Canada’s largest public transit systems,” said Sanchit Sharma, SEIU Member and SkyTrain worker since 2023. “In Ontario, our complaint alleges Dexterra misrepresented its operations to avoid applying negotiated union wages.

In British Columbia, we allege workers are being intimidated and pressured into giving up important collective agreement rights. Public agencies should be asking themselves serious questions about whether this is the kind of contractor they want responsible for essential public services.” The British Columbia complaint alleges Dexterra implemented an ongoing layoff and recall scheme affecting SkyTrain cleaning workers.

According to the complaint, laid-off employees were offered recall only as casual employees, requiring them to give up seniority under the collective agreement. Workers who declined the offer were allegedly told they would be considered to have resigned and lose future recall rights. SEIU Local 2 alleges these actions interfere with employees’ rights under the Labour Relations Code and form part of a broader pattern of anti-union conduct.

The Ontario complaint alleges Dexterra falsely advised the Union and the Ministry of Labour that it no longer had cleaning accounts covered by the union’s collective agreement while continuing to perform cleaning work at TTC and Eglinton Crosstown LRT facilities, enabling it to avoid paying negotiated wages and benefits, undercutting both workers and competing contractors operating under the industry-wide collective agreement. “Whether Dexterra is undercutting negotiated wages in Toronto or intimidating union members in Vancouver, the result is the same: workers lose while Dexterra gains an unfair advantage,” said Sharma.

SEIU Local 2 is calling on clients across Canada to carefully examine Dexterra’s labour relations record when awarding and renewing public contracts. For more information, contact: