Strike averted at LNG Canada workforce accommodation

Some 450 employees at Cedar Valley Lodge, which provides accommodations for up to 4,500 workers on the LNG Canada project near Kitimat, voted unanimously on July 22 to ratify a new contract.

The vote averts a strike that could have slowed construction of the 14mn tonnes/year liquefaction facility, now more than 85% complete and expected to deliver its first cargoes in 2025.

Employees of Sodexo, members of Unite Here Local 40, had voted in favour of strike action on July 10, citing frustrations in negotiations with management to address cost-of-living concerns.

Following mediation with the employer at the BC Labour Board, the new one-year contract gives Sodexo employees at Cedar Valley Lodge wage increases of 30-40%, increased vacation pay, “significant” medical benefit improvements and workload protections.