Last week, Local 401 of the United Food and Commercial Workers published an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for Edmonton workers employed by Excel Society.
The non-profit employer specializes in housing and supportive services for people with disabilities and complex mental health needs. They have locations in Calgary and Edmonton.
This contract update was specifically for 200 workers employed at the organization’s Balwin Villa and Grand Manor facilities.
These workers include licensed practical nurses, health care aides, cooks, dietary aides, recreational therapist assistants, and administrative assistants.
Their most recent collective agreement expired in March 2025, over a year ago, and bargaining began in the latter part of 2024.
According to last week’s update, these workers can expect to see wage increases in the new agreement that they ratified on the 20th.
| March 2025 | 0.00% |
| March 2026* | 2.75% |
| March 2027 | 3.00% |
| March 2028 | 3.00% |
| 8.75% |
This is significantly more than what the employer originally offered, which was no “guaranteed wage increase at all”.
To be fair, workers are set to get a lump-sum signing bonus to make up for the wage freeze in 2025. While that is better than nothing, keep in mind that lump sum payments do not increase the base salary.
For example, if a worker made $40,000 in 2024 and are set to get a $500 signing bonus in 2025, then they will get a combined $40,500 in 2025. However, their 2.75% raise in 2026 will be based on $40,000, not $40,500, which is the difference between $41,100 and $41,614.
In addition to wage increases, the new agreement will give workers another statutory holiday: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Their previous collective agreement had 11 statutory holidays, so now they have a dozen.
The new contract also increases the weekend shift premium, which was $1.25 an hour in the previous contract and has increased to $2.00 an hour.
During the ratification process, 165 out of 200 eligible workers participated. Of those, 89% voted in favour of the tentative agreement, which will expire in March 2029.
