Last week, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta published an update regarding contract negotiations for their members who are employed by Alberta Precision Laboratories.
The HSAA represents over 4,000 APL workers throughout the province. They include lab assistants, scientists, specialists, and technologists; genetics counsellors and technologists; clinical instructors; pathologist assistants; environmental technologists; X-ray technologists; media producers; histology assistants; and those working in administrative support.
Their most recent collective agreement expired in September 2024, and it took over 2 years from the expiration of the contract previous to that to ratify it.
This new agreement took almost a year and a half, is retroactive to October 2025, and will expire in September 2028.
Workers can expect a 3% wage increase in every year of the new 4-year collective agreement, the first two of which will be retroactive.
| 1 October 2024* | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2025* | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 October 2027 | 3.00% |
This is a combined 12% over the course of the collective agreement, or 12.55% if we account for compound increases.
In their previous collective agreement, they got only 4.25% (4.31%) over the course of the collective agreement.
While 12% (12.55%) is better than 4.25% (4.31%), there is some context missing. Here are wage increases from their last two collective agreements:
| 1 April 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2019 | 0.00% |
| 1 October 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2022 | 1.00% |
| 1 March 2023 | 1.25% |
| 1 October 2023 | 2.00% |
That 4.25% (4.31%) wage increase they for in their last collective agreement came after 5 years straight of wage freezes.
Meanwhile, the consumer price index in Alberta rose 30.1 points—from 135.1 points to 165.2 points—during the same period, a rise of 22.28%.
When inflation is 22.28% but your wages increase by only 4.25%, you are left with a cut to real wages of 18.03%. While 12% is better than what they got in their last collective agreement, it still leaves these workers behind the cost of living.
Plus, that 12% is spread out over 4 years, which means 4 more years of inflation, driving up the real wage cut even more. For example, inflation in the first two years since their last wage increase was already 4.84%. And we still have two more years to go in this collective agreement.
According to the workers’ bargaining team—which included 3 lab technologists, 3 lab assistants, and a lab & X-ray technologist—there were quite a few additional changes to the collective agreement.
For example, workers will get 3 professional development days per year to pursue, well, professional development related to their discipline. This will be paid leave.
The new collective agreement also introduced a new long-service pay, which is an additional 2% on top of the basic pay rate for anyone who has been with Alberta Precision Laboratories for at least 20 years.
Also new to the agreement is a professional fee reimbursement, which will allow workers to be reimbursed up to $504 per registration period for any fees they have to pay to stay certified or licensed.
Another addition is preceptor pay. Anyone assigned to act as a preceptor for students will receive an additional $2 per hour.
Humanitarian leave is also new to the agreement for workers who are members of a recognized humanitarian organization that is deployed to respond to a natural disaster, emergency, or other humanitarian crises. It will be unpaid though.
Written warnings for discipline will now be given to workers within 21 days. Previously, it was 20 days. As well, the worker can request the disciplinary action be removed from their file after 18 months; whereas, it was 24 months previously.
The extended health benefits now include continuous glucose monitors. It also removed the 12-month insulin dependency limitation for flash glucose meters and the requirement for a written order from a healthcare professional for diabetic equipment.
Massage therapy coverage increased from $50 per visit to $75 per visit, but the annual maximum is still $1,000.
Mileage has increased from 61¢ per kilometre to 72 per kilometre.
Meal reimbursements have also increased:
| Old | New | |
|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | $10.50 | $13.00 |
| Lunch | $13.00 | $17.00 |
| Supper | $24.00 | $27.00 |
Ratification occured on 13 January 2026. Of the 3,738 ballots that were cast during the ratification vote, 56.93% were in favour of ratification.
That is not a strong approval, but it is a majority, so they have a new collective agreement.
