1,200 miners on strike at Highland Valley Copper near Kamloops over safety and pay

The Highland Valley Copper mine is about 50 kilometres southwest of Kamloops, BC. The Tyee reported on November 6, 2026 that it is one of the largest open-pit mines in Canada, producing 127,000 tonnes of metal concentrates for $499 million in gross profit last year. It is owned by Teck Resources Ltd., a Vancouver-based mining company. The mine is currently expanding, with the expansion expected to allow production of 132,000 tonnes of copper annually until at least 2046.

The Tyee reported on November 6, 2026 that workers in United Steelworkers Local 7619 walked off the job after negotiations with Teck Resources broke down over compensation and health and safety concerns. Union president Kyle Wolff said health and safety is the chief issue, particularly silica dust from drilling and crushing rock in the mine and equipment that the union says has been degrading. Wolff said two union members have been diagnosed with silicosis, a lung disease caused by silica dust.

The Tyee reported that more than 1,200 workers walked off the job on October 24, 2026, after the previous five-year collective agreement ended on September 30 and negotiations broke down. As of November 6, workers had been on strike for about 13 days. The Tyee reported this is the first labour action at the mine since 1989, when workers went on strike. The company briefly suspended operations in 1999 over copper prices.

Silicosis is an incurable and sometimes deadly lung disease caused by breathing fine particles of silica produced when rocks are broken, drilled or crushed. The Tyee reported that the BC Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines, the provincial regulator, investigated Highland Valley Copper in 2025 and found union-management tension had undermined trust. The union says workers are encouraged to wear dust masks but that management has not agreed to additional measures like installing more dust monitors or requiring water trucks on mining roads to keep dust on the ground.

The Tyee reported that BC's Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines, the provincial regulator, conducted an investigation at Highland Valley Copper that was published in 2025. It found reports of dust exposure, persistent running of broken equipment and workers not getting enough breaks. A survey found that 56 per cent of workers, 79 per cent of supervisors and 52 per cent of management reported experiencing or witnessing bullying and harassment on site. The inspector said improving safety at the mine requires all parties to commit to transformative change and that collaboration is critical.

Teck spokesperson Dale Steeves told The Tyee in an email that the company is committed to reaching a fair agreement and to continuously improving health and safety standards. The Tyee reported that Teck did not respond to its specific questions about silica dust or other health and safety concerns. The company did not say when it would return to the bargaining table.

The Tyee reported that the previous five-year collective agreement, which expired September 30, 2026, paid workers between $28.61 and $56.61 per hour by 2025, an increase of about eight per cent from 2021. The Tyee noted that BC's all-items consumer price index rose 16.5 per cent over the same period, meaning wages did not keep up with the cost of living. The union declined to share what wages are on offer in current negotiations.

Workers and community members near the Highland Valley mine, about 50 kilometres southwest of Kamloops, can follow updates from United Steelworkers Local 7619. The Tyee reported that the union has set up heated trailers, working lights and washrooms on the picket lines, and that the strike has also affected contractors hired for the mine's expansion.