Aluminum producer Rio Tinto is the main employer in the municipality of Kitimat, in the North Coast region of British Columbia.
[4] National Unifor president Jerry Dias released a statement saying that "despite record-setting profits, Rio Tinto appears so unwilling to work with us and treat our members fairly" and that the union had proposed the first increase in employee benefits in a decade.
"[9] Local MLA Ellis Ross called for the British Columbian government to intervene, stating that he didn't want "to see Kitimat going into decline" or "people suffering to make mortgage payments.
[11] On 15 August, the captain of MV Indiana, a Norwegian cargo ship that had arrived in Kitimat a week before the strike to collect aluminum shipments and got stuck due to the strike, released a statement saying that the ship was running out of low sulphur marine fuel.
[15] On 4 October, the workers voted to ratify the deal by a majority of 70.6%, bringing an end to the strike.