Earlier this month, the Collective Bargaining Information Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration published their October 2025 Bargaining Update.
Last month, Mediation Services received information on contract settlements regarding 89 bargaining relationships, which affected over 50,000 workers.
Of those nearly 90 relationships, 19 were in the private sector and 70 were in the public sector.
Among them was a collective agreements for workers represented by Local 362 of the Teamsters and employed by Burnco Rock Products.
Based in Calgary, Burnco specializes in aggregate construction materials.
The workers covered by this collective agreement are employed in Burnco’s Calgary shop and include heavy equipment technicians, welders, mechanics, and serviceperson.
After school care workers were not included in the previous collective agreement.
In September 2022, when they ratified their most recent collective agreement, it covered 15 workers. That number has grown to 24, the highest it has been at the start of a collective agreement since at least 2009.
Their last collective agreement expired on 31 July. The new one was ratified 3 days earlier, on the 28th.
These workers are set to receive wage increases in every year of their new 4-year contract.
| 1 August 2025 | 4.00% |
| 1 August 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 August 2027 | 3.00% |
That is a combined 10% (at least) over the life of the contract, for an average of 3.33% per year.
It is less than what they got in their last contract
| 8 September 2022 | 6.50% |
| 1 August 2023 | 2.50% |
| 1 August 2024 | 3.00% |
This works out to be a combined 12%, or an annual average of 4%. Keep in mind that we experienced skyrocketing inflation in 2022.
By the time the collective agreement expires in July 2028, the hourly wage range for these workers will increase from between $28.55 and $47.53 to between $31.50 and $52.44.
Here are some other changes to the new collective agreement.
When determining which workers will be on-call, Burnco will first ask for volunteers, then start assigning based on seniority, starting with those with less seniority. This process was not stated in the previous agreement.
The premium for journey-level mechanic lead hands has increased from $1.50 an hour to $2.00 an hour.
Bereavement leave is explicitly stated in the new agreement. The previous agreement told workers to check the company’s bereavement policy on their intranet. It is paid leave, equivalent up to 3 8-hour days. Workers can use it in the event of the death of a spouse, parent (including in-laws), child (including step), sibling (including in-laws), grandparent, and grandchild. Bereavement leave is available for other deaths, but it is up to the discretion of Burnco.
Workers who have the required qualifications and hold a valid
certification or licensing to perform commercial vehicle inspections shall receive a lump sum allowance of $500 per calendar year.
Vacation pay depends on how long workers have been with the company, but some of the parameters has changed.
| Old | New | Vacation pay | Time off |
|---|---|---|---|
| < 3 years | <3 years | 4% | 2 weeks |
| 3–12 years | 3–10 years | 6% | 3 weeks |
| 12–20 years | 10–18 years | 8% | 4 weeks |
| +20 years | +18 years | 10% | 5 weeks |
National Truth and Reconciliation Day has been added to the list of statutory holidays, bringing the total to 12.
The following was added to the collective agreement:
When a Shop Steward is required to attend a disciplinary or investigative meeting, the Company shall schedule the Steward to meet with management at least 15 minutes prior to the commencement of the meeting to review the particulars of the case.
Under the previous agreement, workers who had been laid off for 4 months lost their seniority status. This threshold has been increased to 6 months.
Tool allowance has been changed from $600 per calendar year to 35¢ per hour worked
Burnco has agreed to transfer the health and welfare plan for workers to the Teamsters Health and Wellness Fund. Total contributions to the fund will be $2.65 per hour worked, with $1.85 of it (70%) being paid by Burnco. The total contribution rate will increase by 5¢ on 1 January of every year.
The safety allowance has increased from $200 per year to $250 per year.
