Employees at the Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa have gone on strike for three days.
On Friday, a busy summer weekend, 230 union members at the popular British Columbia resort town set up picket lines at 7 a.m.
UNITE HERE Local 40 says the strike comes after collective bargaining negotiations failed Thursday afternoon without significant progress.
According to the union, the workers are striking for fair wages and a reversal of concessions made during the pandemic.
Zailda Chan, president of UNITE HERE Local 40, says workers want management to invest in providing the highest quality jobs.
“Low wages, staff shortages and workloads are affecting morale and guest service. Workers are fed up and are taking limited strike action,” says Chan.
One employee contacted Glacier Media and said he “never thought a resort with so much history would have to go through something like this.”
A union representative says hotel room revenue in the Fraser Valley Regional District has increased 42 percent since 2019.
“But the workers were not fairly given a share of these profits,” says the union representative.
As of Friday morning, the resort has been fully booked for Friday night and there is a minimum stay of three nights in summer.
Harrison Hot Springs Resort is owned by Aldesta Hotel Group, a subsidiary of Salience Global Holdings. Aldesta Hotels and Resorts also owns Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, luxury waterfront resorts and two islands along the Great Barrier Reef.
