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

CFLPA Voices Support for Vancouver Hotel Workers Amid Labour Dispute As City Prepares to Host the 2024 Grey Cup Festival

Ahead of the highly anticipated 2024 Grey Cup Festival, the Canadian Football League Players’ Association (CFLPA) has voiced support for over 1,500 Vancouver hotel workers who are currently engaged in a labor dispute. The workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, are fighting for a fair contract after years of service to the hospitality industry.

“The CFLPA stands in solidarity with UNITE HERE Local 40. Just as athletes deserve fair treatment and working conditions, so do the 1,500 hospitality workers fighting for a fair contract. They are essential to the wellbeing of our cities and will play a major role in a successful Grey Cup Festival in November.”

The association also called on Vancouver’s hotel industry to recognize the hard work of its employees during this critical time, urging hotel management to settle the dispute and agree to fair terms: “As Vancouver prepares to host thousands of fans, we urge the hotel industry to recognize the dignity and hard work of those who keep it running.”

While hotels such as the Hyatt Regency Vancouver, Pinnacle Hotel Harbourfront, and the Westin Bayshore will be key players in welcoming fans from across the country, workers at these properties have been struggling with the rising costs of living. Despite record profits in the hotel sector, many workers continue to grapple with stagnant wages and difficult working conditions.

UNITE HERE Local 40, representing the hotel workers, has launched a petition asking those involved with the Grey Cup Festival to show their support. The petition calls on the Hotel Association of Vancouver to accept the workers’ proposal for a fair contract that reflects the vital role these workers play in Vancouver’s tourism success.

As the city prepares for the Grey Cup, Vancouver’s hotel workers are asking for respect, living wages, and improved working conditions. The outcome of this dispute will not only affect the workers’ livelihoods but also the success of one of Canada’s premier sporting events.

Contact:

Nate Holers [email protected] 250-889-7682

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

Camp Workers at Red Chris Mine Vote in Favour of Strike Action

Kitimat, BC – Hospitality workers who serve workforce crews at Red Chris Mine have voted 92% in favour of strike action. The workers are represented by BC’s hospitality union, UNITE HERE Local 40.

Approximately 140 camp culinary, housekeeping and janitorial workers are employed by Spatsizi Remote Services, a joint venture with Sodexo. Workers have been in bargaining since June and are demanding better wages, travel pay, safe workloads, and improved benefits. Workers joined Local 40 this April over concerns about wages and working conditions.

“There are times when we’re expected to clean up to 50 or 60 rooms in a day. We aren’t robots. We need manageable workloads so that we don’t hurt ourselves and pay rates that are similar to what other Local 40 camp members have won,” said Darlene Hamblin, a housekeeper.

The mine is located in the “Golden Triangle” of Northwestern BC and owned by Newmont, one of the world’s largest gold mining companies.

UNITE HERE Local 40 represents approximately 1,000 camp hospitality workers and recently negotiated new contracts at Crossroads and Cedar Valley Lodge that continue to raise standards for workers in the sector.

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

BC Labor Board rules against Holiday Inn Downtown over failure to bargain in good faith

Vancouver, BC – In a new ruling, the British Columbia Labor Relations Board
(BCLRB) has found that the Holiday Inn & Suites Vancouver Downtown failed to
bargain in good faith with UNITE HERE Local 40, violating Section 11 of the BC
Labour Relations Code.

The ruling comes after repeated attempts by the Union to initiate bargaining following
the expiration of the collective agreement on May 31, 2024. Despite the last
negotiations meeting in July 2024 and multiple requests from the Union in August
offering six available dates for negotiations, Holiday Inn failed to respond, prompting
the Union to file an application with the Labor Board.

The Board directed the employer to immediately provide available dates for
collective bargaining and to post a copy of the decision in the workplace for all
bargaining unit members to see.

The Board’s decision highlights that the employer’s lack of response undermined the
collective bargaining process and the Union’s support within the bargaining unit. The
Board ruled that the employer’s actions violated Section 11 of the BC Labour
Relations Code and ordered the employer to cease and desist from further
violations.

UNITE HERE Local 40 filed similar applications against five other downtown hotels:
the Holiday Inn on Broadway, Days Inn, Blue Horizon Hotel, The Burrard Hotel, and
the St. Regis Hotel. The Board ruled that those employers also violated Section 11 of
the Code.

“This ruling is a victory for our members, who have been waiting for the employer
to come to the table and bargain in good faith,” said Zailda Chan, President of
UNITE HERE Local 40. “We are committed to securing fair and equitable contracts
for our members, and this decision ensures that the employer cannot continue to
delay negotiations.”

The Labor Board instructed the employer to provide bargaining dates by the close of
business on October 7, 2024. The Board’s decision must also be displayed
prominently in the workplace to ensure all employees are informed of the ruling.

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

UNITE HERE Local 40 is a labor union representing workers in the hotel, food service, and
airport industries throughout British Columbia. Learn more at UniteHereLocal40.org.