Earlier this month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the March 2025 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In March, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 14 private sector and 23 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 1,560 and 12,565 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for about 15 tile workers employed by throughout Alberta.
These workers are represented by Local 1 of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers. Specifically, they are tile, terrazzo, marble, granite, and mosaic workers.
They’re employed by companies who belong to the Granite, Marble, Tile, and Terrazzo Union Contractors’ Association of Alberta.
The previous contract doesn’t expire until the end of this month, so it looks like they’re getting a head start on this new contract, which doesn’t come into effect until May.
The new collective agreement is for 2 years, which is less than the 4-year term in the previous agreement.
These workers are set to receive wage increases in each year of their new contract:
| 1 May 2025 | 2.00% |
| 1 May 2026 | 2.00% |
This works out to a combined increase of 4% over the course of their new contract. That’s an annual average rise of, well, 2%.
An annual raise of 2% is decent, but there’s something you should know. Take a look at their increases over the last 3 contracts.
| 1 May 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2019 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2022 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2023 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2024 | 2.00% |
Between the raise they got in 2016 and the raise they got last year, these workers had 7 years of wage freezes!
Meanwhile, inflation in Alberta during that period increased 24.71%. That means these workers ended up with a real wage cut of 22.71% during that period.
It doesn’t seem like 4% is going to do much to help them get caught up to the increase to the cost of living, especially when we consider that inflation will increase even more during the life of the new contract.
Here’s a look at what else has changed between the previous collective agreement and the new one.
The employer contribution to the Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Pension Fund of Alberta will increase from $2.45 per hour worked to $2.95 an hour this May and $3.45 an hour next May.
National Truth and Reconciliation Day has been added to the list of statutory holidays, bringing the total number of stat holidays to 12.
The vehicle allowance for those travelling outside of Calgary and Edmonton for work will increase from 55¢ a kilometre to 67¢ a kilometre.
