Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report for August 2026. In it was an application for certification modification.
Local 707-A of Unifor filed the application on 28 July 2026 on behalf of workers employed by SMS Equipment.
SMS Equipment is based out of Acheson, Alberta, but has locations throughout Canada (and two in Alaska). The company is a heavy equipment dealership, specializing in equipment for the construction, forestry, and mining industries, including oil and gas.
Unifor has represented SMS Equipment workers since receiving their certificate in 2014. That certificate applies to all workers “at Fort McMurray locations except office, clerical and sales personnel”.
However, last year, they managed to expand this coverage to include all those working at the Suncor Base Mine; all those working in or out of the SMS’s location off of Highway 63; and all those working in or out of any location in Ward One of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, including any business parks adjacent to Ward One.
The more than 400 workers covered by the first certificate ratified their most recent collective agreement at the end of 2023. The second group of workers have not yet ratified their first collective agreement, at least not according to the province’s collective agreement database.
That collective agreement expired this past April, so the two groups possibly could end up on the new agreement.
This new application would expand the original bargaining unit even more to include all welding quality assurance inspectors working at the Suncor Base Mine, in or out of the Highway 63 location, and any location in Ward One of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
For some reason, these inspectors were not included in last year’s expansion.
The certificate, if granted, would still exclude those in office, clerical, and sales positions, and it would add 4 more workers to the bargaining unit.
Having more workers as part of your bargaining unit could provide more strength during contract talks, even though the collective agreement already covers over 400 workers.
Because the ALRB does not archive their new applications reports, I have included a copy of last week’s report below.
