In the September 2025 Bargaining Update released last month, Alberta’s jobs, economy, trade, and immigration ministry indicated that a new collective agreement had been reached for care workers in central Alberta.
Settled on 15 July 2025, the new agreement is between Eagle Hill Foundation and Local 1461 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, otherwise known as CUPE.
Local 1461 was negotiating on behalf of roughly 100 workers employed by the non-profit organization, where they provide care for seniors living at 3 of the organization’s facilities: Eagle View Lodge in Myrnam, Eagle Hill Lodge in Willingdon, and Hillside Lodge in Two Hills.
These workers include health care aides, kitchen workers, housekeepers, maintenance workers, and recreation aides.
The new 3-year agreement replaces the previous agreement, which expired at the end of last year. The workers ratified their new agreement about 7 month later, in July. It will expire at the end of 2027.
Workers covered by this new agreement can expect to see 3 wage increases during the life of the contract.
| 1 January 2025 | 2.00% |
| 1 January 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2027 | 3.00% |
That’s a combined total increase of 8%, or an average annual increase of 2.67%. In their previous contract, they got 1.33% per year, on average.
In addition, everyone except care aides and health care aides were to receive a 50¢/hour market adjustment, effective 1 January 2025. However, care aides and health care aides were to receive a 2$ an hour market adjustment increases as of the first full pay period after ratification.
By the end of the new collective agreement, the starting wage for 3 positions—care aides, maintenance workers, and recreation aides—will be above $20 per hour. All the remaining positions will still be under $20 an hour. To clarify, care aides are those who are in the process of becoming health care aides, so there is no starting wage for health care aides.
Here are some highlights of other changes in the new collective agreement.
Permanent full-time workers have been redefined from those working at least 80 hours every 2 weeks to those working 75 hours every 2 weeks.
The following clause has been added to the collective agreement:
5.02 The Foundation agrees to use a progressive system of discipline.
Under the previous agreement, Eagle Hill Foundation had to provide copies of the new collective agreement with 30 days of ratification. That has been doubled to 60 days.
This clause was also added to the collective agreement:
In the event of permanent changes to rotations or schedules, the manager will consider the preferences and seniority of the affected employees.
The previous contract stated that if workers show up to work a full shift as scheduled, they would be guaranteed 4 hours worth of pay. The word full has been removed from the contract. As well, the contract now specifies that the reporting pay guarantee applies even if the worker is sent home before starting the scheduled shift.
Workers who temporarily filled in for another worker were paid the salary of that position, under the previous agreement. Now, they will be paid whichever wage is highest: their regular pay rate or that of the position they filled in for.
This was also added to the contract:
If the employee is going to be absent for a period of up to 1 month, the shifts for the entire absence will be filled by a part-time or casual employee on the basis of seniority. If the absence is for greater than 1 month, then the position shall be temporarily posted for the duration of the absence in order to allow all employees to apply for the position.
Shift premiums have increased.
| Old | New | |
|---|---|---|
| 16:00–midnight | $2.50 | $2.75 |
| midnight–08:00 | $3.00 | $3.25 |
| Weekend | $2.00 | $2.25 |
This clause was also added to the collective agreement.
Casual employees hired at the “start rate” of a pay grid shall be moved to the next highest step identified as “year 1” after the completion of 480 hours worked. Thereafter, progression through the pay grid is 2,080 worked hour intervals.
The previous collective agreement stated that all workers represented by Local 1461 “receive the recognized statutory holidays for which they are eligible with pay”. The new agreement says that this benefit will apply to just full-time workers.
The following were added to the collective agreement:
Employees requesting union leave shall complete and submit a union leave request 3 weeks in advance of the leave or at the earliest possible time whenever 3 weeks is not possible.
The union shall provide the employer with a current list of employees who are accredited representatives.
This one was removed from the collective agreement:
Employees on maternity, parental or adoption leave will be provided with the opportunity to maintain their benefits by paying the full cost (both employer and employee portions) of the monthly premiums. The employee will provide postdated cheques to the employer prior to commencing the leave.
Sick leave has been updated from 18 prorated days per year to 18 prorated days or 144 hours per year. Related to that, the maximum allowed for accumulated sick leave has been changed from just 90 days to 90 days or 720 hours.
Permanent workers can now use up to 5 days worth of their sick leave to care for ill parents, children, spouse, or other dependents.
Dental care has increased from a maximum of $1000 for basic,
endodontic, periodontal, and major restorative services combined to a maximum of $2000.
Eye exam coverage has increased from $60 per person every 2 years to $125 per person.
