The weekend of July 29-30, hospitality workers at Horizon North Crossroads, represented by UNITE HERE Local 40, voted 100 percent in favour of strike action.

This comes off the heels of hospitality workers at Cedar Valley Lodge voting 100 percent in favour of a new collective agreement to increase pay and create workload protections for some workers, an act that set a new precedent for BC camp workers.

The strike could cause pipeline disruption as the Crossroads camp has 800 rooms housing LNG Canada pipeline and construction workers. Workers include room attendants, kitchen staff, servers, janitors and front desk agents.

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The collective agreement at Crossroads Lodge expired on May 10. The union says workers are earning less than a living wage, and are asking for a cost of living adjustment that would allow them to keep up with the cost of living in B.C. They are also demanding protection against unsafe working conditions and workloads caused by understaffing.

Building Trades workers at the LNG Canada camp received a 12 per cent raise last year, and hospitality workers are looking for equal compensation.

鈥淐rossroads Lodge workers deserve respect for the work we do in Kitimat, and this strike vote demonstrates how we stand united for the wages and workload we need,鈥� said Kathy Wallace, a Second Cook who has worked at Crossroads Lodge for four years.

鈥淲e want to continue to provide our services and create a home away from home those staying and working here, but we don鈥檛 want to be overlooked anymore. The Sodexo workers鈥� victory at Cedar Valley Lodge proves how valuable hospitality workers are in this region, and like them, we hope to reach a deal soon and avoid strike action.鈥�

The Union and the employer are currently in mediation.

hunter.wild@northernsentinel.com
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