---
title: "1,200 miners on strike at Highland Valley Copper near Kamloops over safety and pay"
description: "More than 1,200 workers at the Highland Valley Copper mine southwest of Kamloops have been on strike since October 24, 2026 after negotiations with Teck Resources broke down over compensation and health and safety conditions."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/highland-valley-copper-strike-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-06T21:02:59.851Z"
---

More than 1,200 workers at the Highland Valley Copper mine, about 50 kilometres southwest of Kamloops, have been on strike since October 24, 2026 after negotiations with Teck Resources Ltd. broke down over compensation and health and safety conditions, The Tyee reported on November 6.

## Why workers walked out

United Steelworkers Local 7619 president Kyle Wolff told The Tyee the chief issue behind the strike is health and safety, not only pay.

"This is really about frustration," Wolff said. "Especially with the people that have been there for a long time, we've just seen the mine slowly degrade to a point where it is unsafe."

The Tyee reported that workers' central concern is silica dust, fine particles produced by drilling and crushing rock. Low silica exposure over 15 to 20 years can cause silicosis, an incurable and sometimes fatal lung disease. Wolff said two union members have been diagnosed with silicosis. He said the union has been pushing for more dust monitors in the pit and mandatory water trucks on mining roads to wet down dust before shifts, but management has not agreed. Some workers have resorted to taping vehicle windows shut to keep out dust, Wolff said.

The previous five-year collective agreement expired September 30. Workers in the union voted unanimously in favour of the strike, with all 44 participants voting for job action.

## BC mines regulator investigation

The Tyee reported that BC's Office of the Chief Inspector of Mines investigated Highland Valley Copper in 2025. The investigation found reports of dust exposure, 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 had experienced or witnessed bullying and harassment on site. The inspector concluded that trust between the union and management had broken down and that improving safety would require a commitment from all parties to transformative change.

Wolff said workers had not seen meaningful improvements in the 11 months since the investigation report was published. The Inspector's office recommended that the mine assign owners to each high-risk safety concern and report progress to regulators.

## The mine and what is at stake

The Highland Valley Copper mine is one of the largest open-pit mines in Canada. The Tyee reported that the mine produced 127,000 tonnes of metal concentrates for $499 million in gross profit last year. Teck Resources is expanding the mine, an expansion expected to allow production of 132,000 tonnes of copper annually until at least 2046.

Teck spokesperson Dale Steeves told The Tyee the company is committed to reaching a fair agreement and to continuously improving health and safety standards. The company did not respond to The Tyee's questions about specific safety concerns.

The Tyee reported that the previous collective agreement paid workers between $28.61 and $56.61 per hour by 2025, up about eight per cent from 2021. BC's consumer price index rose 16.5 per cent over the same period.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.