Last month, Alberta Mediation Services published their September 2025 Bargaining Update, which included a new collective agreement for factory workers employed by Exchanger Industries.
Workers at the Calgary-based employer engineer, design, and manufacture heat exchangers.
Local 146 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers, and Helpers represents these workers.
The collective agreement covers all production and maintenance workers doing fabrication and repair work, including welders, machinists, boilermakers, painters, and general labourers
The most recent collective agreement for these workers expired this past July. The new collective agreement was ratified less than a month before the previous one expired.
Wage increases are expected in each year of the new contract:
| 1 August 2025 | 3.00% |
| 1 August 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 August 2027 | 4.00% |
This comes to a combined increase of 10%, or 10.33% if you account for compound increases. That works out to an annual average increase of 3.33% (3.44%)
They got 8% over 3 years in their last contract, which averages out to about 2.67% per year.
By the time the new contract expires in July 2028, hourly wages for the workers will have increased to $25.01 for general labourers to $$53.15 for foremen, pressure and machinist leadhands, pressure welders, and journey-level machinists, boilermakers, and fitters.
Here are some highlights of other benefits these workers will receive in their new collective agreements.
Shift premiums have increased.
| Old | New | |
|---|---|---|
| Second shift | $1.50 | $1.75 |
| Third shift | $1.75 | $2.00 |
Meal allowance has increased from $10 to $20 for workers who work 2 hours beyond quitting time of their regular shift.
Employer pension contributions will increase from $3.50 to $3.75 per hour in the final year of the new contract. Also, the pension is now available to just workers who have been with Exchanger for 90 days; it was 60 days in the previous agreement.
Dental coverage has increased from an annual maximum per person of $2,000 to $2,500.
The boot allowance increased from $200 per calendar year to $250.
As of the new collective agreement, the shop committee has shrunk from a maximum of 4 workers to a maximum of 3 workers.
In the previous collective agreement, third-year welder apprentices made 75% of the wages made by non-apprentice welders. The new agreement lists them as 90% now.
