Agreement reached with IKEA after 17 month long strike by workers

A 10-year agreement has been reached with IKEA workers after a 17 month-long strike.

The union and the Swedish furniture giant reached the agreement through binding recommendations issued by veteran mediator Vince Ready.

Ready’s mediation is credited for helping end the recent B.C.’s teachers’ strike.

IKEA said in a statement that the “company’s offer is fair and generous.”  Employees who crossed the picket line during the strike will also be able to keep their jobs at IKEA Richmond.

Employees will also get a new health care spending account and the company will receive unspecified “operational changes and flexibility that would allow IKEA Richmond to improve the overall performance of the store.”

The Richmond store will continue to operate on reduced hours until mid-December, when the store will return to normal operations.