Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed with Alberta Innovates and InnoTech Alberta, one of its subsidiaries
As of November 2022, when these workers ratified their previous collective agreement, AUPE represented nearly 200 workers between both employers.
These workers include all those employed at the two organizations except scientists, human resources, senior executive clerical support, accountants, librarians, nurses, purchasing agents, and those working in facilities management, marketing and public relations, safety, quality control, and information technology.
The most recent collective agreements for both groups of workers (here and here) expired in September 2024.
Bargaining between the workers and both employers began last December, when the groups exchanged their initial proposals.
The parties reached a tentative agreement last month, less than a year after negotiations began. Ratification on the last agreement occurred more than 2 years after the previous agreement had expired, so this is an improvement.
Bargaining concluded last month on the 13th, and the bargaining committee held information sessions for workers the following week, on the 20th and 21st, for the tentative agreement reached with the employers.
Workers had a chance to vote on the tentative agreement, and according to last week’s update, 99% of the workers who voted chose to ratify the agreement.
The new collective agreement is effective 1 October 2024 and will last for 4 years, expiring at the end of September in 2028.
It includes wages increases in each year of the agreement.
| 1 October 2024 | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2025 | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2027 | 3.00% |
That is a combined increase of 12% over the life of the contract, or 12.55% if you account for compounded increases.
This is similar to what most public sector workers are getting in new collective agreements settled this year.
Now, 12% might seem like a significant amount at first glance, but we should keep in mind what wage increases looked like for them over the last two collective agreements.
| 1 October 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 October 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 October 2019 | 1.00% |
| 1 October 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 October 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 October 2022 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2023 | 1.25% |
| 1 March 2024 | 1.50% |
That is only 3.75% over a period of less than 7 years.
Between October 2016 and March 2024, the consumer price index in Alberta increased 31.5 points, from 135.8 points to 167.3 points, a 23.20% jump.
Since inflation during this 7.5-year period was 23.20%, but their combined wage increases during the same duration was just 3.75%, these workers ended up with a cut to their real wages of 19.45%.
Even with a 12% wage increase in their new collective agreement, they will still be left with a real wage cut of 7.45%, or 6.90% if we include the compounded increases I mentioned earlier.
And that is assuming they would get the full 12% (12.55%) at the start of the collective agreement, which, of course, is not true. It is spread out over 4 years, which means 4 more years of inflation.
For example, inflation in Alberta between March 2024 and October 2025, the most recent data we have, was 3.53%. And that is only the first year of the new collective agreement. There are still 3 more years of inflation still to come.
Granted, 12% is better than nothing, but the Government of Alberta needs to do better for these workers, who have had to deal with 5 years of wage freeze.
Here are some other highlights of changes in the new collective agreement.
Shift premiums have increased, including the addition of a new night shift, which covers work hours between 23:00 and 07:00 the following morning.
| Before | After | |
|---|---|---|
| Evening | $2.25 | $2.75 |
| Night | — | $5.00 |
| Weekend | $2.25 | $3.25 |
As well, shift premiums kick in earlier now than they did under the previous collective agreement.
The list of paid holidays now includes any days declared to be a holiday by the provincial or federal governments. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation would fall under this.
Vacation leave has changed as well.
| Leave | Old | New |
|---|---|---|
| 5 days | 1–8 years | 1–6 years |
| 10 days | 8–16 years | 6–15 years |
| 15 days | 16–25 years | 15–25 years |
| 20 days | 25+ years | 25+ years |
The cost of obtaining a doctor’s note to justify sick leave will now be reimbursed, up to $50.
Paid domestic leave has been added to the collective agreement, and that maxes out at 5 days. Previously, it was 10 days, but it was unpaid. The workers’ bargaining team had proposed 10 paid days.
Personal leave has increased by a day. The bargaining team had offered 5 days.
The Flex Spending Account has increased from $930 a year to $1,200 a year, which can be allocated however the worker wishes to their health spending account and their personal spending account. The bargaining committee had proposed increasing it to $1,500 for full-time workers and $1,275 for part-time workers.
Workers who have been employed for 20 years or more will now get an additional 2% wage increase.
