Image: Unite Here Local 40 / Workers on strike at Harrison Hot Springs Resort back in July 2024. A campaigner with Unite Here Local 40 says the village manager of Harrison Hot Springs has asked community members to refrain from sending further emails pertaining to the ongoing labour dispute at Harrison Hot Springs Resort.

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Harrison Hot Springs Resort

Harrison Hot Springs village staff ask community to stop emailing them over resort labour dispute: Union

Oct 3, 2024 | 1:19 PM

HARRISON HOT SPRINGS — A campaigner with Unite Here Local 40 says the village manager of Harrison Hot Springs has asked community members to refrain from sending further emails pertaining to the ongoing labour dispute at Harrison Hot Springs Resort.

According to a news release from Unite Here Local 40 representative Nate Holers, the request from Harrison Hot Springs Chief Administrative Officer Tyson Koch comes after nearly 100 residents and community allies took part 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.

Holers says Koch responded with concerns about the volume of messages received. Allan Jackson, a Harrison Hot Springs village councilor, reportedly 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 sought to spotlight the resort’s reported understaffing, which has reportedly led to service delays, including hours-long waits for basic services, Unite Here Local 40 claims. 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.

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“Despite the council’s desire for neutrality, the community’s support for fair treatment of workers is strong,” Unite Here Local 40 said in its statement. “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.”

The three-day strike initiated by unionized workers wrapped up in early July, but the battle is nowhere near over.

Michelle Travis from Unite Here Local 40 told Fraser Valley Today in a text message on Monday, July 8 that workers concluded their three-day job action and returned back to work early Monday morning.

“They delivered a strong message to management that their concerns should be taken seriously,” Travis wrote in a text message at 3:59 p.m. Monday, July 8 to Fraser Valley Today. “We expect to be back in negotiations soon.”

The union tweeted in July that unionized hotel workers were simply fighting for fair wages, benefits and workload. Unionized workers at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa walked off the job Friday, July 5 as part of a three-day walkout to support their negotiating team.

According to a previous news release from Unite Here Local 40, the employees are demanding fair wages and a reversal of concessions made during the pandemic. The job action follows a breakdown in bargaining talks with management in early July.

According to the union, hotel room revenues in the Fraser Valley Regional District, which includes Harrison Hot Springs, have grown 42 per cent since 2019. However, the union says its members have not shared equitably in the gains.

“Harrison Hot Springs Resort workers want management to invest in providing top-quality jobs,” said Zailda Chan, president of Unite Here Local 40. “Workers are fed up, which is why they’re taking limited strike action.”

The union says Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa is owned by Aldesta Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Salience Global Holdings. It claims the conglomerate also owns the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, other luxury waterfront resorts, and two islands in the Great Barrier Reef.