Earlier this month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the March 2025 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In March, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 14 private sector and 23 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 1,560 and 12,565 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for about 80 workers employed by Fear is Not Love Society, previously known as Calgary Women’s Emergency Shelter.
These workers are represented by Local 4731 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees. They include counsellors, therapists, receptionists, kitchen workers, and early childhood workers.
The previous contract expired in December 2023. This new contract was settled only last month, over a year after the last one expired.
The new collective agreement is for 3 years, which is pretty much the same as the previous agreement.
These workers are set to receive wage increases in each year of their new contract:
| 1 January 2024 | 2.00% |
| 1 January 2025 | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2026 | 2.50% |
This works out to a combined increase of 7.5% over the course of their new contract. That’s an annual average rise of 2.5%.
That’s more than they received in their last contract. In fact, it’s more than they’ve received in the last two contracts.
| 1 May 2019 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2020 | 0.00% |
| 1 May 2021 | 0.00% |
| 1 January 2022 | 1.00% |
| 1 January 2023 | 1.50% |
Inflation in Alberta during that period increased 14.07%. That means these workers ended up with a real wage cut of 11.57% during their last 2 contracts.
A raise of 7.5% in their new contract will help, but it’s not all they need to make up for the lost real wages. On top of that, inflation over the 3 years of the new contract will widen the gap even further between what they make and what they need.
For example, inflation between January 2023 and January 2025 was 5.98% in Alberta, nearly wiping out the gains in the new contract. And there’s still inflation this year and next year to come.
Here’s a look at what else has changed between the previous collective agreement and the new one.
A land acknowledgement was added to the agreement.
Two worker classifications were added to the agreement: seconded workers and floaters. Seconded workers are those temporarily appointed to a position other than their own. Floaters are part-time, temporary counsellors who are guaranteed between 18 and 24 hours per week and provide regular and as-needed support.
Seconded workers continue accumulating seniority rights. They will receive all entitlement for their seconded position. They retain the right to return to their former position and wage rate.
The following clauses on harassment and violence were added to the article on discrimination:
5.02 Harassment
The Parties agree no Employee shall be subjected to harassment. Harassment shall be defined as a single incident or repeated incidents of objectionable or unwelcome conduct, comment, bullying or action by a person who knows or ought reasonably to know will cause offence or humiliation to another, or adversely affect an and safety. This includes harassment based on any protected ground as outlined in the Alberta Human Rights Act; and/or sexual harassment. Harassment does not include any reasonable direction provided by a manager or supervisor to a subordinate at Fear is Not love. The proper discharge of workplace and supervisory responsibilities, including but not limited to, disciplinary action, is not harassment.5.03 Violence
The Parties agree no Employee shall be a victim of violence in the workplace. Violence is the threatened, attempted, or actual conduct of a person that causes or is likely to cause physical or psychological injury or harm and can include:
- Physical attack or aggression
- Threatening behaviour
- Verbal or written threats
- Domestic violence
- Sexual violence
All incidents of violence between an Employee and non-Employee will be reported as Occupational Health and Safety Committee. All other incidents of violence will be reported to Human Resources.
Two new clauses were added to the section on resignation:
If an Employee voluntarily resigns from their current position and is subsequently hired into another position within the bargaining unit, the Employee will lose all seniority rights in accordance with Clause 11.03(b). Upon being rehired, the Employee’s seniority rights and other employment entitlements under this Collective Agreement will be determined bases on the Employee’s rehire date. Upon being rehired, the Employee must complete a probationary period in accordance with Article 26 of this Collective Agreement.
After the Employee has provided written notice of resignation, the Employee will not take any Vacation Leave or any Well-being Days, unless such Vacation Leave or Well-being Day(s) was previously authorized or approved in accordance with Articles 17 or Article 18. The Employee will not take any other additional time off after providing written notice of resignation, unless such time off is approved by the Employee’s Supervisor, which will only be granted in cases of emergency Sick Leave.
Workers will now lose seniority if they take a a non-job protected leave of absence that exceeds 52 consecutive weeks.
In the previous contract, counsellors and therapists in community services ad men’s counselling services worked 7 hours a day Monday to Friday, or 8.75 hours a day Monday to Thursday or Tuesday to Friday. In the new contract, this has been extended to all counsellors and therapists except shelter counsellors.
Shelter counsellors and early childhood workers who worked at least 5 hours were entitled to a 1-hour paid meal break under the previous contract. That has been changed to 7 hours.
The following were added to the section on authorized overtime:
Employees will be eligible for overtime pay in accordance with Clause 15.01 if it is either authorized or directed by the Employer.
Authorized overtime means overtime that is pre-approved by the Employer, including overime that may be accrued at the conclusion of and Employee’s scheduled shift (i.e., a shift extension).
Directed overtime means work performed by an employee on a scheduled or unscheduled basis as directed by the Employer. For clarity, the Employer may require an Employee to work a reasonable amount of overtime. Should the Employee believe that the Employer is requiring the Employee to work more than a reasonable amount of overtime, then the Employee may decline to work additional overtime, except in an emergency, without being subject to disciplinary action. The Employer shall endeavour to minimize the use of directed overtime.
Any work performed by an Employee that is not authorized or directed overtime will be paid at the Employee’s regular rate of pay, unless an Employee exceeds twelve (12) hours in one day or forty-four (44) hours in a week.
Part-time, relief, and temporary workers don’t get overtime unless their daily hours exceed that of full-time workers in the same classification.
The following as added to the new contract:
Any Employee may pick up additional available shifts, as may be offered by the Employer from time to time, at their regular rate of pay up to forty-four (44) hours per week. The employer may decline an Employee’s request or acceptance to work an additional available shift outside of their regular work hours if it would require payment of overtime. The Employer will maintain a consistent procedure for the call out of Employees to perform additional available shifts. The Employer will call out in the following order:
- Part-time (Permanent and Temporary)
- Relief
- Permanent Full-time by seniority
- Temporary Full-time
- Employees holding dual positions
The above procedure does not apply to shift extensions, or additional available shifts that become available on the same day that coverage is required.
The article on personal leave has been renamed sick leave. After their probationary period, full-time workers can take up to 3 sick days as wellbeing days per year, and part-time workers can take 1 day. After they’ve been working for a year, they can take up to 8 days and 6 days, respectively, per year.
Sick leave will be deducted in full-day or half-day increments.
If a worker takes more than 3 of their sick days in a row, they must provide a doctor’s note. If they’re gone for over 30 days, they need to provide a doctor’s note saying they are fit to return to work. The employer will cover the cost of the note in both cases.
The following was added to the article on study leave:
Where the leave is to complete further education related to an Employee’s position, requests for such leave will be assessed by Chief Executive Officer or designate as determined by the Chief Executive Officer, on a case-by-case basis. The Employee must request this leave in writing from the Chief Executive Officer or designate as determined by the Chief Executive Officer four (4) weeks in advance prior to commencing this leave.
The following was added to the article on parental leave:
An Employee must provide at least thirty (30) days written notice to the Employer that they will be taking Maternity, Paternity and/or Adoption Leave prior to the commencement of the leave. The written notice must include the date the Employee is expected to commence the leave. In circumstances where the Employee must commence the leave prior to providing thirty (30) days written notice, or prior to the date the Employee is expected to commence the day of work. Where applicable, when the Employee provides their written notice, the Employee must payment of Long-Term Disability Benefits. If the Employee has not provided the Employer with prepaid cheques, then the Employer will deduct the Long-Term Disability premium costs incurred during the following their return to work. Also, where applicable, the Employer will continue to pay the single Employee cost of the Extended Health and Dental Plans.
Workers are now eligible for 10 days of domestic violence leave. Anything over 3 days requires a note from a physician, therapist, an attending cop, or crisis unit supervisor.
Under the new agreement, workers can choose to have their RRSP contributions put into a tax-free savings account instead. It’ll still be at 4%. It’s available to only permanent workers now.
Workers will be reimbursed mileage when required to use their personal vehicle for work.
The night shift premium has increased from $2.00 per hour between midnight and 08:45 to $2.50 an hour during the same period.
The probationary period for new workers can now be extended 90 days, but the union must agree to the extension.
