‘We should put economic hurt on them as well’: B.C. unions rally at Highland Valley Copper in support of striking miners

Striking workers at the Highland Valley Copper mine (HVC) near Logan Lake had support on the picket line Monday (Nov. 9) from representatives of other several other B.C. unions.

“It’s one big family, that’s what the labour movement is and you need to show up when you’re needed, and for us, that’s a very important thing,” Tyler Hall-Ford, with BCGEU Local 505, said. “I myself have been on strike the last two contracts that I’ve gone into and both times the Steelworkers showed up.”

“Even if you think you’re alone, you’re not,” Michael Greveling with SEIU Local 2 added. “Solidarity is amazing and the turnout has been incredible.

Greveling works at Nico Wynd Golf Course in South Surrey, where workers have been on strike since Oct. 1.

“We’re on strike for safety issues and violence in the work place,” Dallis Van Steinburg, the SEIU Local 2 business agent, said. “I understand that is also why this mine is out, a lot of safety issues and we can’t play around with that.”

“Union after union after union have come out to show us solidarity and this is our opportunity to come and give back some love and support,” added Greveling. “The unions need to come together until this new government that’s come into power and I believe this kind of thing is really important for us to do.”

The strike at Highland Valley Copper is into its third week after the United Steelworkers (USW) Local 7619 walked off the job on Oct. 24. On Friday last week, the BC Federation of Labour (BCFED) issued a hot edict and called on affiliated unions to not handle product coming from the mine.

“There is product still moving in and out of here and the hot edict is one of the tools we have as the Federation of Labour to be able to stop that from happening, to ask other unions to support the line, BCFED president Sussanne Skidmore told CFJC.

“We’re going to continue to support this line until the employer gets back to the table and gets the workers the deal that they need.”

Since that edict was issued, there have been picket lines at the Port of Vancouver in support of the members of USW Local 7619. Union president Kyle Wolff said that show of support is welcome news to his members.

“From what I understand, the port has been down for 60 hours,” Wolff told CFJC. “That sends a message.”

Wolff added that USW Local 7619 also welcomes the declaration of the hot edict, though he also lamented that not every union has followed through on the ask.

“I’ll call out unions like Teamsters, for example, the 213, they’re moving that product,” Wolff added. “They’re doing it inconspicuously by using a transport truck that’s hired by someone else with an employee in it, transporting to a brake check and then transporting to the port so that they’re somehow not involved, but they’re involved.”

“We’ve got a lot of friends ensuring this product does not get moved and I call on those people to continue to make sure it doesn’t get moved. If the employer continues to make money like they’re doing right now, or even a percentage of it, they’ll continue doing so forever. They want to put economic hurt on all our families. We should put economic hurt on them, as well.”

In a statement to CFJC, Teck Resources said it remains “committed to reaching a negotiated collective agreement that is fair, responsible and supports the long-term success of our BC employees, operation and communities.”

“Operations are currently continuing at a reduced capacity, and our focus is on maintaining safe and environmentally responsible operations,” the company said. “HVC [mine life extension] continues to advance and we do not expect any significant impact on overall construction timelines at this time.”

Wolff previously told CFJC that USW Local 7619 is prepared for the long haul in its push for better pay and pension protections. It also wanted Teck Resources to resolve health and safety issues, and to address its ability to attract and retain skilled workers at the mine.

“They’ve been hiring scab labour, they’ve been hiring new supervisors, they’ve been using contractors to work inside – so what they’re doing right now is they’re cheating the system,” Wolff alleged. “We have to prove it, and we will because we have the evidence to do it, and will intend to, but what the company is doing right now is wrong.”

“They’re continuing to operate against the rules and they’re not using their own people because they can’t do it themselves.”

Workers at Highland Valley Copper have been without a contract since Sept. 30 after their previous five-year contract – which was ratified following a strike vote in 2022 – expired. USW said all 944 members who participated in the strike vote were in favour of walking off the job.

“There hasn’t been a strike or a labour dispute up here in a long time so I think everybody is just feeling out how that works,” Scott Lunny, the Western Canada Director with the United Steelworkers, told CFJC.

“We’re going to have to get back to the table at some point and we’re going to have to get a collective agreement that works for these members.”

Wolff said Monday that some employees at the mine have already started looking for jobs elsewhere. He said USW Local 7619 will be holding a job fair on Tuesday and Thursday this week for members looking for work

“We’re not asking people not to work, we’re just asking them not to work at HVC,” Wolff said. “We want to continue making sure that employees continue getting a paycheck because we want people to be employed, we want people to continue working so that they can survive a strike.”

“The goal isn’t to starve them out, the goal is to make sure they’re getting paid as best as possible.”