Calgary painters file for unionization

Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their new applications report. In it was an application for union certification.

Local 177 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades filed the application on 14 March 2025.

The 9 workers Local 177 is trying to help unionize are all employed with ProCoat Coatings Ltd.

Based in Calgary, ProCoat Coatings provides shop and field coating services throughout Calgary and Southern Alberta.

The ALRB has scheduled a hearing for next Friday, during which time, the employer will have an opportunity to present arguments for why the ALRB should’t approve the certification application.

If the ALRB does approve the application, the next step would be for the ALRB to hold a certification vote, which give the workers a chance to democratically choose whether to unionize, and specifically whether to join Local 177 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades.

To file a certification application in Alberta, a union has to demonstrate that 40% of the workers they’re trying to unionize are in favour of joining their union.

In this case, that would be 4. They would need just 1 more person to vote in favour of unionizing (assuming the original 4 vote in favour) for the certification to pass.

If the workers do vote to unionize, their first order of business will be to create a bargaining committee to begin negotiating their first collective bargaining agreement.

The ALRB doesn’t archive their new applications reports, so I’ve included a copy below of this week’s report.