Lethbridge city council unanimously approved wage increases for city administration staff at their regular council meeting this past Tuesday.
These staff members include all union-exempt employees of the city’s administration.
Here is the text of the motion that was approved by all city councillors in attendance. (Ryan Parker recused himself, declaring a conflict of interest, presumably because his wife is the general manager of the waste and environment department.)
Whereas administration wages were frozen at 0% increases for the years 2020, 2021 and 2022, and
whereas administration wages for 2023 and 2024 were 3.0% respectively:
now therefore, be it resolved that city council approve cost of living adjustments (COLA) for administration for the remaining two years of this budget cycle as follows:
- 2025 – 3.0%
- 2026 – 3.0%
Further be it resolved that city council direct that the closed meeting discussions with respect to the labour matter remain confidential pursuant to Section 24 (Advice from Officials) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
To be clear, this means 4 years in a row of 3% increases, for a combined increase of 12%.
Here’s a reminder of what unionized workers employed by the City of Lethbridge got during the same period.
CUPE Local 70, which represents over 900 inside and outside workers, got a combined increase of 11% and an average of 2.75% per year:
| 2023 | 3.00% |
| 2024 | 2.75% |
| 2025 | 2.50% |
| 2026 | 2.75% |
IBEW Local 254, which represents about 75 electricians, got a combined increase of 8.0% over 3 years, which works out to 2.67% per year, on average. Their contract expires next year, so they currently don’t have a scheduled increase for 2026.
| 2023 | 3.00% |
| 2024 | 2.50% |
| 2025 | 2.50% |
Operating Engineers Local 955, which represents about a dozen workers employed at the City of Lethbridge’s water treatment plant, got 10% over 4 years, for an annual average of 2.5%.
| 2023 | 3.00% |
| 2024 | 2.00% |
| 2025 | 2.25% |
| 2026 | 2.75% |
ATU Local 987, which represents over 120 transit workers, got the same as the CUPE workers: 11% over 4 years, averaging 2.75% a year.
| 2023 | 3.00% |
| 2024 | 2.75% |
| 2025 | 2.50% |
| 2026 | 2.75% |
According to the latest bargaining update report published by the Mediation Services department of the Government of Alberta, two groups of workers employed by the City of Lethbridge are still waiting on contracts.
CUPE Local 70 also represents library workers, who have been working off an expired contract since the end of 2022.
IAFF Local 237 represents over 200 firefighters and paramedics (and support workers), and they haven’t had a new contract since the end of 2020, nearly 4 years ago. By the time they get a new contract, it’ll likely be either expired or about to expire.
Both groups were still in mediation, according to the report, as of 7 November 2024.
One reply on “City of Lethbridge admin staff get 12% raise”
Add in a future 12% increase in a newly approved property tax rate IN ADDITION to an already 5% increase per year (in addition to increases in assessment values) to pay for some bad decisions made by this council and soon Lethbridge will be too expensive for anyone. Most of the owners of the companies already receiving tax breaks live in the county to avoid paying high property taxes. We need a council with the guts to cut spending in the same way residents are being forced to do to their living. It’s getting out of hand.