Last week, Local 2 of the Service Employees International Union posted on their social media last week that some of their members had voted in favour of striking.
SEIU 2 represents 168 truckers employed by McRae’s Environmental Services Ltd.
Based out of the Vancouver area, McRae’s specializes in hydrovac services and vacuum truck solutions. They have several locations in British Columbia and Alberta, including one in Edmonton.
The most recent collective agreement for these workers expired this past June.
I reached out to Daniel Tseghay, a communications specialist for Local 2 to understand what these workers are dealing with.
The main thing Tseghay claimed was a sticking point in negotiations has been wages. Their most recent collective agreement was ratified in July 2021, over 5 years ago and before skyrocketing inflation came in the following year and into 2023.
As a result, wages have fallen behind inflation, and workers want wages to catch up.
Here is what their wage increases looked like during their last agreement:
| 1 July 2021 | 1.50% |
| 1 July 2022 | 1.64% |
| 1 July 2023 | 2.00% |
| 1 July 2024 | 2.00% |
| 1 July 2025 | 2.00% |
| 9.14% |
Meanwhile, the consumer price index in Alberta alone increased by 27.7 points, from 144.9 points in July 2020 to 172.6 points in July 2025. That is a 19.12% jump.
Wages during their last contract increased by less than half what inflation increased by.
Because inflation was 19.12% during the same period that wages increased by just 9.14%, these workers ended up with a cut to real wages of 9.98% heading into negotiations.
If they went to the store at the beginning of their last collective agreement and spent $100 on a basket of goods, they would be able to afford just about $90 of those same goods today (or rather last summer).
Either that, or they would have to spend about $110 to afford the same basket of goods. And remember, that is despite 5 years of wage increases.
Receiving a 10% wage increase would help them break even at the start of the contract, but it would not be sufficient to cover future inflation increases.
Inflation in Alberta has already increased by 3.24% since their last wage increase, for example.
These workers would need far more than a 10% wage increase to break even of their real wage cut and to cover inflation increases over the course of their new collective agreement.
According to Tseghay, “Without wages that keep up with the cost of living, the bosses at McRae’s have left members with no choice but to get strike-ready.”
The workers came together on 25 July 2026 for the strike vote, and of those who participated, 96% voted in favour of striking.
Now, this does not mean that the workers are on strike—not yet, at least. It does give the workers’ bargaining team some leverage, however. They can take the strike vote results with them when they meet the employer at the bargaining table on the 7th and 10th of this month. It would show the employer that the workers are willing to go on strike to fight for their lost wages.
Hopefully, the bargaining team for McRae’s pays attention and provides these workers the wages they deserve.
Of the 168 truckers employed by McRae’s, 21 work out of the Edmonton branch.
