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

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

Breaking: Labour Board awards Union damages over Hotel’s multiple violations of anti-scab law

Fifth time LRB has issued order against Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport

Vancouver, BC – Strikers at Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport have secured another legal win at the BC Labour Relations Board. In a new ruling, the Board found the employer repeatedly violated the Labour Code when it illegally used replacement workers during the strike. In a rare move, the Board awarded damages to UNITE HERE Local 40, which represents the workers.

Vice-Chair Carmen Hamilton determined the hotel breached the Code during the strike by repeatedly using impermissible workers to perform housekeeping and maintenance work.  In B.C., it is illegal for replacement workers to perform bargaining unit work while workers are on strike.

The Board ordered Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport to pay damages to the Union and to cease and desist from using replacement workers. The employer will have to pay the equivalent of lost wages for bargaining unit employees who would have otherwise performed the work.

The Vice Chair also ordered a Special Investigating Officer to conduct an inspection of the hotel.  This is the second time the Board has ordered a special investigator to scrutinize staffing at the hotel.

Workers went on strike in May 2021 over management’s mass terminations of 143 workers and efforts to gut wages and working standards.  At the time, the hotel was raking in millions in payments from the federal government for its use as a temporary quarantine site.

This is the fifth time the Board has issued an order against hotel management for violating the Labour Code.  In May, the Board ruled against the employer and issued a cease-and-desist order to management to stop threatening and intimidating strikers on the picket line.  This followed three consent orders issued by the Labour Board last year declaring the hotel had violated labour law multiple times by using replacement workers during the protracted strike.

Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport and The Deck at Radisson Blu is majority owned and managed by PHI Hotel Group. The minority owner, IAG Enterprises, also owns Sooke Harbour House.

“This decision is another step toward justice for strikers who have watched hotel management repeatedly violate the law. We are pleased the Labour Relations Board penalized Radisson Blu Vancouver Airport for its egregious actions. The strikers will keep on fighting to ensure hotel management treats its workers with respect and dignity,” said Zailda Chan, President of UNITE HERE Local 40.

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