Last month, the Alberta’s ministry of jobs, economy, and trade published a new collective agreement in their for sheet metal workers in their collective bargaining agreements database.
The agreement was between the Independent Sheet Metal Workers’ Association and Prairie Metal Industries Inc., a metal fabricator based out of the Edmonton-area, which employs over 80 sheet metal workers, sheet metal mechanics, sheet metal welders, apprentices, and machine operators.
The current contract expires in February 2024, and this new contract, which was settled on 2 November 2023, will come into effect on the first day of March.
According to the new 3-year contract, the minimum wage rate for certified sheet metal mechanics will be $34 an hour. The previous minimum wage rate was $32 at the start of the current contract, not including cost-of-living increases that were scheduled for last year and this year. Workers will negotiate cost of living increases in 2025 and 2026.
Sheet metal mechanics that aren’t certified will be paid 80% of the rate for the certified workers. Certified sheet metal welders will get 90% of the rate of certified mechanics. Machine operators will receive between 30% and 50% of the mechanic rate, depending on classification level. Registered apprentices will be paid 50%, with increases dependent on hours of employment. Finally, support workers are scheduled to get 30% of the mechanic rate.
These are the same rates as the current contract.
Prairie Metal has agreed to increase their pension contributions in the new contract. Currently, they contribute a minimum sum of $1.00 per hour for each straight-time hour worked by certified sheet metal mechanics, to a maximum of 44 hours per week. In the new contract, they will pay $1.50 for each straight hour worked.
For other workers, they contribute a percentage of $1.00 that corresponds to their percentage of the certified mechanic rate, which I listed above. Now, it will be a percentage of $1.50.
The boot and tool repair allowance will increase from $200 a year to $250 a year in the new contrat.
There were no changes to vacation pay, recognized holidays, hours of work, or out of town accommodation allowance. There also were no other benefits introduced in this new contract.
