Earlier this month, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Bow Valley College.
Located in downtown Calgary, Bow Valley College is the only community college in the city.
The roughly 300 AUPE members employed by the college include administrative support, administrative officers, business development officers, library workers, nurses, equipment workers, and sign language interpreters.
These workers have been without a new collective agreement since their last one expired nearly 2 years ago, in June 2024. And that one was not ratified until the end of 2022, 2.5 years after the previous one had expired.
Bargaining between the workers and Bow Valley College began about 2 years ago.
The bargaining committee for the workers published their first update regarding this round of negotiations back in April 2025. In that update, the committee claimed that Bow Valley College had offered a 10% wage increase over 4 years.
| 2024 | 3.0% |
| 2025 | 3.0% |
| 2026 | 2.0% |
| 2027 | 2.0% |
In response, the workers’ bargaining committee countered with 26% over just 3 years.
| 2024 | 13.0% |
| 2025 | 6.5% |
| 2026 | 6.5% |
This works out to an average of 8.67% per year, compared to an annual average of 2.5% offered by the college.
Now, 26% might seem like a lot, but take a look at what wage increases were like for these workers over the last two collective agreements.
| 1 July 2017 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2018 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2019 | 1.00% |
| 1 July 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 July 2022 | 0.00% |
| 1 April 2023 | 1.25% |
| 1 December 2023 | 1.50% |
They received a combined 3.75% since July 2016, which is an average increase of 0.47% per year.
During the same period, the consumer price index in Alberta increased 34.8 points, from 135.6 to 170.4. That is a 25.66% jump.
With inflation hitting 25.66% and wages increasing just 3.75%, these workers were left with a decrease in real wages of 21.91% heading into this round of bargaining.
A 26% wage increase would cover that shortfall of nearly 22%, leaving 4.09% to cover the last 2 years of the contract.
The offer from Bow Valley College, however, would reduce the real wage cut to just 11.91%. But that is still nearly 12% behind inflation. Also, keep in mind that the college’s offer is spread out over 4 years, which would mean 4 more years of inflation, increasing that real wage gap again.
Last November, I wrote an article in which Bow Valley College refused to move off their 10% offer.
Well, I guess they changed their mind. In the update published earlier this month, AUPE claimed that the two parties had reached a new agreement, which included higher wage increases than what Bow Valley originally offered.
| 1 July 2024* | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2025* | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 July 2027 | 3.00% |
| 12.00% |
This is in line with what other public sector agreements have seen in Alberta over the last year or so. That being said, Bow Valley College had to move just 2 percentage points to reach this deal, while the workers had to move 14 points. Plus, the workers had to spread it out over a year more than they wanted.
As I pointed out earlier, 12% will not be enough to make up for the 21.91% loss in real wages during their last two collective agreements, let alone cover inflation since their last wage increase in 2023.
That being said, there are some additional pay changes that would benefit a few workers, if ratified.
For example, academic advisors and library assistants would all have their salary grid rates increased by 10%. Student recruitment specialist would also higher salary grid rates, but by only 7%.
In addition, the wage grid would eliminate the second step, which means anyone in that step will be bumped up automatically to the third step.
There are a few other notable changes in the proposed collective agreement.
The health spending account would increase $225, from $775 to $1000.
Bow Vallege College has agreed to increase their health benefit co-pay to 70% from 65%. This means that if the workers ratify this agreement, their co-pay will drop from 35% to 30%.
A letter of understanding accompanying the tentative agreement states that the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation will be recognized as a paid holiday when it falls on a weekday.
The workers’ bargaining team organized two information sessions—one last Thursday and one this past Monday—to explain the changes proposed in the tentative agreement and answer questions workers had on the agreement they had negotiated.
Ratification voting opened up at 13:00 this past Monday and will end tomorrow at midnight; although it was not clear whether that was the midnight transitioning from tonight to tomorrow or the midnight transitioning from tomorrow into Friday.
