Highland Valley Copper mine near Logan Lake is shown in a 2015 file photograph. The image predates the October 2026 strike.
Photo credit: Jeffrey Wynne
LOGAN LAKE — More than 1,200 workers at Teck Resources’ Highland Valley Copper mine near Logan Lake walked off the job on Saturday, October 24, after negotiations failed to produce a new collective agreement, according to the United Steelworkers. Teck confirmed the strike and said the mine was continuing to operate at reduced capacity.
The employees are represented by USW Local 7619. Their previous agreement expired September 30. The union said all 944 members who participated in a strike vote supported job action, and it issued a 72-hour strike notice on October 20. Bargaining continued until the strike began Saturday morning, according to the union’s October 26 statement.
The union has identified pay, pensions, benefits and staffing levels as major issues in negotiations. Local 7619 president Kyle Wolff accused Teck of seeking concessions while offering compensation that did not adequately recognize workers’ contributions. In an earlier statement, the union said a revised offer from Teck had withdrawn one proposed concession but left other disputed demands unresolved.
Teck said in its October 24 statement that contingency plans were in place to maintain safety and environmental management during the work stoppage. The company said any effect on overall production would depend on how long the strike lasted. It also said it wanted an agreement that was fair to employees and supported the operation’s long-term viability.
In financial results released October 28, Teck reported that Highland Valley Copper generated $793 million in revenue during the third quarter of 2026, compared with $459 million in the same period last year. Those figures cover July through September, before the strike began, and do not establish the cost of the labour disruption.
As of October 29, no subsequent settlement announcement was located in the official statements reviewed. The union’s latest strike-specific update was issued October 26, and Teck’s latest operational statement on the strike was issued October 24.
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