5,000 Alberta carpenters win 15.7% wage increase

In the May 2023 Bargaining Update released earlier this month, Alberta’s jobs, economy, and northern development ministry indicated that a new collective agreement for carpenters had been reached.

Settled on 7 May 2023, the new agreement is between the Construction Labour Relations Alberta and the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers.

Also known as Alberta Carpenters, the ARCCAW was negotiating on behalf of locals 1325 and 2103 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America, which cover Northern Alberta and Southern Alberta respectively.

The new 2-year agreement replaces the previous agreement, which just expired in April 2023, and will expire in April 2025.

Carpenters covered by this new agreement can expect to see 3 wage increases during the life of the contract.

Mar 2023	7.85%
May 2024	7.85%

That’s a combined total increase of 15.7%.

By the end of this new contract, non-industrial first-year carpenters—the lowest-paid workers affected by this contract—will be making $30.60 an hour, up from $27.08 an hour.

The new contract will affect nearly 5,000 carpenters throughout the province.

Truth and Reconciliation Day was added to the list of paid general holidays.

Workers under the new contract will also see their transportation reimbursement increase from 52¢ per kilometre to 65¢ a kilometre by the end of the contract.

There will also be an increase to transportation reimbursement to remote sites.

	Old	New
Up to 200 km	$88	$110
201–300 km	$124	$156
201–375 km	$150	$188
376–475 km	$224	$280
Over 475 km	$344	$429

Employer contributions to the worker insurance benefit plan will increase from $2 an hour to $2.20 an hour by the end of the contract.

Alberta Contractors held a ratification vote on the new contract at the end of April. Turnout at the vote was 42.9%. Of those who came out to vote, a solid majority (78.7%) voted to approve the contract.