Hospitality workers who serve the workforce at Red Chris copper-gold mine near the village of Iskut have voted 92 per cent in favour of job action. They will decide whether to go on strike or not based on how bargaining goes.

Workers have been bargaining since June, demanding better wages, travel pay, safe workloads and improved benefits. They joined B.C.'s hospitality union UNITE HERE Local 40 this April to assist in negotiations.

Around 140 culinary, housekeeping and janitorial workers are employed at the mine by Spatsizi Remote Services, a joint venture between the Tahltan Nation Development Corporation and Sodexo.

The Red Chris Mine is located in the "Golden Triangle" of northwestern B.C and owned by Newmont, one of the worlds largest gold mining companies.

鈥淭here are times when we鈥檙e expected to clean up to 50 or 60 rooms in a day. We aren鈥檛 robots. We need manageable workloads so that we don鈥檛 hurt ourselves and pay rates that are similar to what other Local 40 camp members have won,鈥� said Darlene Hamblin, a housekeeper.

Local 40 have previously negotiated new contracts at Cedar Valley Lodge and Crossroads Lodge, averting strikes at two LNG Canada construction sites in Kitimat.

In July of 2023, hospitality workers at Cedar Valley Lodge won up to 40 per cent in pay increases, as well as improved benefits, vacation pay, a retirement plan, and workload protections.

In August of 2023, hospitality workers at Crossroads Lodge won an immediate 10 per cent wage increase and workload protections.

More to come.