The Alberta Labour Relations Board publishes a list of all the certificates they’ve issued for unionized workplaces in the province.
They update it every month, with the latest update being 1 October 2025.
I thought I would report on 2 certificates that the ALRB issued in September 2025. In fact, both certificates were issued on the same day: the 10th.
Blood Tribe Department of Health Inc.
One of the certificates was for firefighters employed by the Blood Tribe Department of Health Inc.
The workers originally filed for unionization back in June with the International Association of Fire Fighters. They used to be represented by Local 987 of the Teamsters, but that relationship dissolved some time after their collective agreement expired in 2018.
There was a bit of a delay in getting certified after the Blood Tribe Department of Health filed a grievance with the ALRB, accusing the IAFF of promising the workers higher wages if they unionized, something that is against the law in Alberta.
The bargaining unit will cover nearly 60 workers.
WestMET Group Canada Ltd.
The other certificate issued by the ALRB on the 10th was for workers employed by WestMET Group Canada Ltd.
This certificate will cover all workers of the company’s Sheerness mine site near Hannah, Alberta. It excludes office personnel, foremen, scalemen, and surveyor party chief.
Formerly known as Westmoreland Mining LLC, WestMET extracted sub-bituminous coal from the surface strip mine. With Alberta’s electricity generation transitioning from coal to natural gas, WestMET shut down coal mining at the site and began reclaiming the site.
During the reclamation process, they discovered large reserves of humalite at the mine site. The substance is formed during the decomposition of organic matter and contains high concentrations of humic acid while being low in heavy metals.
Humalite improves soil health by increasing water retention, enhancing nutrient uptake, and stimulating microbial activity. The petrochemical industry can also use it as a thinner and filtration control agent for water-based drilling muds.
The Colorado-based company is now mining humalite at the site, which contains the largest concentration of the substance in the world, millions of tonnes worth.
Because the humalite pits are smaller than the coal pits they used to mine, extraction should not significantly hamper the ongoing reclamation process.
Interestingly, WestMET was granted a coal lease last year for the same area.
Local Union No. 955 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, otherwise known as IUOE 955, will represent these workers. They already represent WestMET workers at the company’s Coal Valley site near Edson.
