In the August 2025 Bargaining Update released earlier this month, Alberta’s jobs, economy, trade, and immigration ministry indicated that a new collective agreement for construction workers had been reached.
Settled on 20 May 2025, the new agreement is between the Construction Labour Relations Alberta and Local 92 of the Construction and General Workers’ Union, otherwise known as Labourers’ International Union of North America or just LiUNA.
LiUNA 92 was negotiating on behalf of 3,500 construction workers employed throughout Alberta.
The new 4-year agreement replaces the previous agreement, which just expired in April 2025, and will expire in April 2029.
Construction workers covered by this new agreement can expect to see 4 wage increases during the life of the contract.
| 8 June 2025 | 3.00% |
| 3 May 2026 | 2.00% |
| 2 May 2027 | 2.00% |
| 7 May 2028 | 3.00% |
That’s a combined total increase of 10%.
By the end of this new contract, industrial first-year workers—the lowest-paid workers affected by this contract—will be making $27.61 an hour. Commercial first-year workers will see their wages rise to $21.54 an hour by 2028.
Here are some highlights of other changes in the new collective agreement.
National Truth & Reconciliation Day was added to the list of recognized holidays, which is used to determine stat holiday pay. This brings the total number of recognized holidays to 12.
The shift premium has increased from $3 an hour to $4 an hour for second and third shifts. It will rise to $4.50 an hour next year.
The following section was added to the agreement:
Unscheduled overtime will be paid at time and a half (1.5x) when an Owner/Client requests that an Employer perform overtime that was not previously planned to be part of the regular work week schedule, excluding Saturday, Sunday and Statutory Holidays.
Unscheduled overtime shall not exceed 3 consecutive days per work week, otherwise all overtime worked will be paid at the applicable collective agreement rates. All unscheduled overtime shall be voluntary on the part of the worker, and they shall not be subject to discipline for refusing such work.
Unscheduled Overtime will not be applicable on days where a concrete pour has been scheduled and/or delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Travel allowance rates have been removed from the collective agreement, and workers are told to visit the clra.org website for updated allowance amounts.
