Press Release: Local 40 camp workers at Red Chris Mine vote 99% to approve first union contract, setting new standard for BC camp workers

Dease Lake, BC – Workers at Red Chris Mine, unionized with UNITE HERE Local 40, have overwhelmingly ratified a groundbreaking new contract with 99% support. This agreement establishes a new benchmark for camp workers’ wages and working conditions in British Columbia.

Workers will see their wages rise by over 40% over the next 18 months, marking one of the most significant gains for camp workers in BC. By the end of the contract, housekeepers at Red Chris Mine can expect to earn over $30 per hour, reflecting the essential nature of their work. Enhanced provisions will address workload concerns, ensuring more manageable and equitable work schedules for employees.

The road to this achievement began when workers at Red Chris Mine unionized with UNITE HERE Local 40 in April. Following months of negotiations, workers demonstrated their solidarity and determination with a strike vote in October, sending a clear message to management about their priorities.

The agreement sets a new standard for wages and working conditions across the province’s camp-based industries and underscores the growing momentum of worker organizing in resource and hospitality sectors.

Located in the “Golden Triangle” of Northwestern British Columbia, the Red Chris Mine is owned by Newmont, one of the largest gold mining companies globally.

UNITE HERE Local 40 represents about 1,000 camp hospitality workers. Camp workers continue to organize for better standards across the province. Most recently, workers at three Horizon North camps around the Fort St John area joined Local 40.

Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785 or Rifat Islam, [email protected], 604-619-0798

Media Advisory: Hotel workers to Hold Rally Urging Swifties to Honour the Picket Line amid Taylor Swift’s Final Eras Tour Shows!

WHAT: On the eve of the heavily anticipated final shows of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour in Vancouver, striking workers at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport will hold a demonstration on Thursday, December 5.  Protestors are urging Swifties to use alternative accommodations to avoid encountering noisy demonstrations, reduced services, and skeletal staffing.    

WHO: Striking Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport workers and community allies.

WHEN: Thursday, December 5, at 5PM. 

WHERE: Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport, 3500 Cessna Drive, Richmond, BC.

WHY: The strikers, predominantly women who have worked at the hotel for decades, have been on strike for over 1,300 days. They went on strike after 143 of their co-workers were terminated during the pandemic. Workers are striking for secure jobs to return to and for family-supporting wages and working conditions. The BC Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress have issued a boycott against Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport and The Deck at Radisson Blu. 

Swifties are urged to use FairHotel.org to find a hotel that is not behind picket lines. 

VISUALS: Striking hotel workers and their supporters banging drums, chanting and marching, carrying banners, and signs. 

MEDIA CONTACTS: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785, or

Rifat Islam, [email protected], 604-619-0798



BREAKING: Downtown Vancouver Hotel Workers Secure Highest Hotel Wages in Canada

Workers ratify new contract with 98% voting in favour

Vancouver, BC – Downtown Vancouver workers just secured the highest wages for hotel workers in Canada. In a ratification vote yesterday, Hyatt Regency, Westin Bayshore, and Pinnacle Waterfront workers overwhelmingly voted in favour of this historic new collective agreement.

The workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, will earn cumulative increases of 34% over the contract term. Under the new agreement, a room attendant will earn nearly $32.50 per hour on January 1 and will make over $37 per hour in 2027.

“This contract is a game-changer for us. We are proud of what our union won in this contract fight,” said Naden Abenes, a Hyatt room attendant. “The new wage increases will help us afford to live in Vancouver, and other gains we made, like year-around health benefits for everyone, means we can take better care of our families without constant worry.”

The Union pushed back against a cap on health care and other concessions proposed by employers. Tipped and non-tipped workers will be able to access the new year-round benefits once they come into effect. The companies also agreed to contribute more toward workers’ pensions to improve retirement security.

Under the new agreement, workers will have enhanced workplace protections, including a reduction in housekeeping workload, an increase in wage premiums for those doing overnight and training work, and stronger gratuity protections. Workers also secured extended recall protections in the event of another pandemic, as well as unlimited recall rights for renovations and natural and man-made emergencies, ensuring workers’ seniority and job security are protected.

Hundreds of Hyatt, Westin Bayshore and Pinnacle workers took action in this round of bargaining, participating in rallies, delegations, petitions, work stoppages and a one-day strike by Hyatt workers this July, to press for fair wages and working standards in Canada’s priciest hotel market.

“Vancouver’s hotel workers have set a new standard for Canada’s hospitality industry,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40. “The achievements in this agreement are a testament to the power of workers and the critical role Local 40 members play in the success of Vancouver’s tourism sector.”

For media inquiries, please contact:

Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785 or

Rifat Islam, [email protected], 604-619-0798

Media Release: UNITE HERE Local 40 Launches Website for Cautious Home Buyers

Website for prospective pre-sale buyers of homes developed by Jayen Properties

Vancouver, BC — UNITE HERE Local 40, the hospitality workers union, has launched a new website for prospective home buyers considering pre-sales purchases of condominiums and townhouses developed by Jayen Properties.

JayenPropertiesMonitor.org is for prospective investors undertaking due diligence when considering an investment in Jayen Properties’ residential developments and real estate professionals involved in pre-sales. Jayen Properties is currently in pre-sales for the LEVEL condominium development in Coquitlam and Park & Maven in Surrey.

According to the Real Estate Development Marketing Act (REDMA), developers should disclose material facts that could affect a purchaser’s decision about a project. Buyers take financial risks when buying a home and ought to have more information made available to them about the developers behind the glossy marketing.

The website provides details about a lawsuit filed last year against the president of Jayen Properties, Sukhminder Rai, and ten of his affiliated companies. Rai recently reached a settlement for undisclosed terms with affiliates of the Siksika Nation over allegations of fraud and misappropriation of nearly $16 million in funds. Jayen Properties was not named in the lawsuit but Jayen Homes, a related residential construction contractor, was one of the ten companies sued. Rai denied the allegations.

Jayen Properties’ president co-owns Westin Calgary Airport through a joint venture with Siksika Nation affiliates. Funds that were allegedly supposed to go to Westin Calgary Airport were transferred to companies controlled by Jayen’s president, including Jayen Homes, or directed to offshore accounts.

Siksika Nation affiliates successfully petitioned a court to appoint an Interim Receiver to take over financial and operational control of the hotel from Jayen’s hotel management affiliate, PHI Hotel Group. The court also issued a freezing order affecting several bank accounts linked to Jayen’s president and Jayen Homes. The freeze was later reduced in scope. The receivership began August 2023 and continued into November 2024.

The new website www.JayenPropertiesMonitor.org includes:

  • Information related to the recent lawsuit, the interim receivership, and settlement involving Jayen’s president that prospective home buyers should consider when weighing a pre-sales investment.
  • Links to news and legal documents, court orders, reports by the Interim Receiver, and affidavits, including several provided by Raj Khangura, Chief Financial Officer of Jayen Properties, related to the lawsuit and receivership.
  • A fact check on developments purported to be “coming soon” in Jayen Properties’ marketing materials at 3500 Cessna Drive in Richmond, 9711 137 Street in Surrey, and 927 Main Street and The Cobalt Hotel in Vancouver, but have not received necessary approvals.

UNITE HERE Local 40 is monitoring business developments related to Jayen Properties and its affiliated companies.  Local 40 represents workers at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport and The Deck at Radisson Blu which is majority owned and managed by affiliates of PHI Hotel Group and controlled by the president of Jayen Properties. The Radisson Blu workers have been on strike for three and a half years.

Contact: Michelle Travis, [email protected], 778-960-9785

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BREAKING: Workers at Red Chris Mine Issue 72-Hour Strike Notice

Hospitality workers supporting Red Chris Mine operations in northern British Columbia have issued 72-hour strike notice to their employer, Spatsizi Remote Services, a joint venture with Sodexo. The workers are represented by UNITE HERE Local 40.

Strike action could impact services at the Red Chris Mine site. Nearly 140 workers prepare meals for mine workers and clean staff accommodations. 

The workers, facing the high cost of living and challenges posed by remote work, are highlighting critical issues including wages that fall below the living wage and unaffordable benefits. They are also demanding a retirement benefit and reasonable workload expectations.

Workers are currently in mediation with their employer. 

“While we’re dedicated to supporting the Red Chris Mine crew, we are struggling to make ends meet,” said Muna Farah, a housekeeping worker. “The wages here are lower than at other camps, and essential needs like healthcare and fair travel compensation remain out of reach. We’re only asking for what’s fair—wages and benefits that reflect the reality of living and working remotely.”

In a vote held last month, the workers voted an overwhelming 92% in favour of strike action. They joined Local 40 in April this year and have been bargaining for their first union contract since June.

Located in northwestern BC’s “Golden Triangle,” the mine is owned by Newmont, one of the world’s leading gold mining companies. 

UNITE HERE Local 40, which represents approximately 1,000 camp hospitality workers, has recently secured new contracts at Crossroads and Cedar Valley Lodge, raising standards for workers across the industry.

Contact: Rifat Islam, [email protected], 604-619-0798