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.

Press Release: Kitimat camp culinary staff ratify new collective agreement

Kitimat, BC – Camp culinary and housekeeping staff have unanimously ratified a new collective agreement with Compass Group ESS.  The workers, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, serve crews at Rio Tinto’s operation in Kitimat.

Kemano Staff House workers secured industry leading wages among other gains. Housekeeping attendants will earn nearly $30 per hour, and cooks will make nearly $35 per hour, with additional future increases.  They will also receive improvements in individual and family health care benefits and greater workload protections. The new agreement expires in 2027.

“Kemano workers, like other remote workers, work very hard on long rotations away from home. We are proud that together we continue to raise wages and working standards for camp workers in northern B.C. so they can support themselves and their families,” said Robert Demand, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 40.

The union recently ratified new camp agreements for workers at Crossroads, Cedar Valley Lodge, and LNG janitors in Kitimat in the past month. UNITE HERE Local 40 represents over 600 camp workers in Kitimat.

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

Harrison Hot Springs Village Staff Asks Community to Stop Emailing About Resort Labour Dispute

Harrison Hot Springs, BC — Yesterday, Tyson Koch, Harrison Hot Springs Village’s Chief Administrative Officer, requested that community members stop sending emails related to the ongoing labour dispute at Harrison Hot Springs Resort (HHSR). This request comes after nearly 100 residents and community allies participated in a letter campaign that raised concerns about short-staffing, rising living costs for workers, and inadequate service at the resort. In addition to resort management, the emails were directed towards local government officials who are liaisons to the Harrison Tourism Society, including those from Village of Harrison Hot Springs, District of Kent, and Fraser Valley Regional District.

Koch responded with concerns about the volume of messages received. Allan Jackson, a Harrison Hot Springs Village Councilor, received over 40 emails in one week, which Koch called “excessive.” Koch stated that the Village Council and staff intend to remain neutral in the ongoing negotiations.

“The request from the village to cease communication on such an important community issue is concerning,” said Willy Pederson, a resident and worker at HHSR. “Harrison Hot Springs Resort plays a vital role in the local economy. The working conditions of resort workers is directly linked to the experience of visitors and, by extension, local businesses that depend on tourism. How is Harrison Tourism Society supposed to achieve its mission of representing the community if they are not accepting correspondence from us?”

The letter campaign highlighted the resort’s reported understaffing, which has led to service delays, including hours-long waits for basic services. The letters also called on local government representatives involved with the Harrison Tourism Society to advocate for fair labour practices and ensure the resort’s continued success.

Despite the council’s desire for neutrality, the community’s support for fair treatment of workers is strong. Many of the letters came from customers of the resort, as well as allies from across the province. The resort’s workers, who went on a three-day strike in July, remain committed to achieving a contract that reflects the rising cost of living and the value they bring to Harrison Hot Springs.

Contact: Nate Holers, 250-889-7682, [email protected]

Press Release: Hospitality Workers Unionize at Two Northern BC Camps

Vancouver, BC — Horizon North workers at Kobes Creek Lodge and CPC Montney Lodge are the latest camp workers to unionize with UNITE HERE Local 40.

Nearly 100 culinary and housekeeping workers are employed at the remote lodges north of Fort St. John which provide workforce accommodations for natural gas project crews.

Contract negotiations will soon be underway at each lodge. Workers are seeking standards that other unionized Local 40 Horizon North members have secured. Currently, Kobes Creek Lodge and CPC Montney Lodge staff are paid $5 to-$7 less than unionized Horizon North workers earn.  They are also seeking increased travel pay and affordable health benefits.

“Local 40 camp members are raising the bar for wages and working conditions in remote camps. They work on multi-week rotations away from home to provide top notch service to remote workforce crews. Workers at Kobes Creek and CPC Montney deserve the same standard that other Horizon North crews have fought for and won,” said Robert Demand, Secretary-Treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 40.

Over 1,000 camp hospitality workers have joined UNITE HERE Local 40 in recent years, including workers at Red Chris Mine and Sodexo at Cedar Valley Lodge.

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