Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the December 2024 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In December, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 24 private sector and 10 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 2,429 and 3,797 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for about 10 workers employed by the Advance Tank Centres. Based out of Sherwood Park, Advance Tank Centres specializes in parts and service for tanker trailers.
These workers our based out of the company’s location in southeast Calgary, and they’re represented by Local 146 of The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, also known as just The Boilermakers.
The previous contract for these workers expired in August 2024. The new contract was settled in September 2024, less than a month later.
The new collective agreement is for 3 years, expiring in August 2027. This is longer than their last agreement, which was for just 2 years, but shorter than 4-year agreement previous to that.
The workers, which include heavy equipment technicians, mechanics, welders, truck drivers, and general labourers, are set to receive a 3% raise in every year of their new contract.
This combined increase of 9% over the life of the collective agreement is more than the 8.5% their Sherwood Park counterparts received in a contract they ratified last year. Those workers are represented by the Advance Tank Centres Employees Association.
By the end of the contract, these Calgary workers will all be making above $30 an hour, except for some of the first- and second-year apprentices and the labourers. Journey-level workers will be making close to or more than $40 an hour.
| Heavy equipment tech: truck & transport, journey (senior) | $52.39 |
| Heavy equipment tech: truck & transport, journey | $41.36 |
| Trailer Mechanic, journey (ASME, dual ticket) | $43.34 |
| Welder, journey (ASME, dual ticket) | $43.34 |
| Welder, journey & 5 years tank trailer exp. | $41.36 |
| Welder, journey, working on ASME | $39.39 |
| Welder, apprentice, 3rd year | $35.45 |
| Welder, apprentice, 2nd year | $29.54 |
| Welder, apprentice, 1st year | $23.63 |
| Trailer mechanic, journey & 5 years tank trailer exp. | $39.96 |
| Trailer mechanic, journey | $37.14 |
| Trailer mechanic, apprentice, 2nd year | $26.00 |
| Trailer mechanic, apprentice, 1st year | $22.28 |
| Labourer | $20.26 |
| Truck driver | $31.51 |
Here are some highlights of other changes to this new collective agreement.
While the tool allowance remains at $400 per year in the new contract, under the previous one, the tool allowance reset “on the anniversary date of the collective agreement”. Now, it resets “at the beginning of the calendar year following the anniversary date of the collective agreement”. However, unused amounts can be carried over into the following year, which wasn’t in the previous contract.
Workers are entitled to 2 paid rest periods during each shift. The previous contract didn’t specify the duration of the breaks; the new contract states that they’re for 15 minutes each.
The boot allowance has increased from $250 every 12 months to $300 every 12 months.
