Union alleges Horizon North employees locked out and left stranded ahead of strike

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Unite Here Local 40 alleges Horizon North has stranded some hospitality workers in Fort St. John ahead of a possible strike.

Hospitality workers at Kobes Creek Lodge, a facility owned by Horizon North, issued a strike notice to their employer on Friday, April 25th.

According to a new press release from their union, on the evening of Monday, April 28th, nine workers “delegated the management” at the facility, asking for a fair contract.

“Before they could finish speaking, management informed them they were being locked out of work and had 30 minutes to gather their things,” the union claims. “They were then bussed to Fort St. John and left in a hotel parking lot, hundreds of kilometers from their homes in Edmonton.”

When tapped for comment about the situation, Miranda Smith, the corporate communications and marketing director for Horizon North’s parent company Dexterra Group, said the company normally doesn’t respond to unions via public media channels and doesn’t “have anything to share for now.”

Miranda Nedd, the facility’s first cook, says the situation is “outrageous.”

“All we’re asking for is a living wage and they kick us out and leave us on the side of the road like garbage,” Nedd says. 

“We’re not disposable and we’re going to fight until we win. We are some of the lowest-paid workers in BC’s resource camps. We deserve fair pay and respect.”

The 31 hospitality workers at the facility have been negotiating for a better contract since December 2024. 

In February, employees voted in favor of a strike, ultimately leading to the strike notice last week.

The union claims Monday evening’s work stoppage was “brief,” adding it was meant to show workers’ unity in demanding a fair contract.