Image: Unite Here Local 40

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa

Job action ends at Harrison Hot Springs Hotel, but the battle for better wages and benefits is far from over

Jul 9, 2024 | 7:26 AM

CHILLIWACK — The three-day strike initiated by unionized workers at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa may have wrapped up, but the battle is far from over.

Michelle Travis from Unite Here Local 40 told Fraser Valley Today in a text message Monday (July 8) that workers concluded their three-day job action Monday 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 to Fraser Valley Today. “We expect to be back in negotiations soon.”

The union tweeted over the weekend 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 (Jul. 5) morning as part of a three-day walkout to support their negotiating team.

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According to a 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 Thursday afternoon.

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.