Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Lamont County Housing.
The not-for-profit organization, which is managed by a board filled with representatives from nearby municipalities, oversees Beaverhill Pioneer Lodge, a 55-unit seniors housing facility in Lamont, as well as a combined 62 units of senior housing in the communities of Andrew, Bruderheim, Chipman, Lamont, and Mundare.
AUPE represents just under 50 workers employed by the foundation, including activity coordinators, cooks, kitchen workers, housekeeping workers, maintenance workers, and receptionists.
According to Alberta’s collective bargaining agreements database, the most recent collective agreement for these workers expired about a year and a half ago, at the end of 2024.
Bargaining for a new agreement did not begin until last August, 7 months after the last collective agreement had already expired.
During the initial 2-day bargaing session in August, the employer offered to do a 4-year collective agreement. Their previous 2 agreements have all been 3-year agreements.
They also offered a combined wage increase of 6% over that 4-year contract, which is half of what public sector workers have been receiving over the last year or so.
The bargaining team for the workers responded with an offer of 35% over just 2 years.
| 1 January 2025 | 25% |
| 1 January 2026 | 10% |
Over their last 3 contracts, these workers have received a combined 20% increase to their wages. Inflation during the same period has been 23.35%, which left these workers with a cut to real wages of 3.35% heading into bargaining.
A 35% wage increase would cover that real wage cut, as well as inflation in 2024, inflation last year, and inflation this year.
When the two parties met this past January, the employer had doubled their wage offer. They still wanted a 4-year contract, but they increased their 1.5% annual wage increase to 3% every year. That brings the combined increase to 12% from just 6%.
Which brings us to last week’s update.
According to the AUPE, the two parties have reached a tentative agreement, which includes a combined wage increase of 12% over 4 years, which is the same as Lamont County Housing’s latest offer but about a third less than what the workers had asked for.
| 1 January 2025* | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2026* | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2027 | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2028 | 3.00% |
| 12.00% |
On top of that, however, Lamont County Housing has agreed to establish a living wage of $22.65 an hour, effective next January.
As well, next January, general services workers could expect an additional 4% increase to their base salary.
If the workers ratify the agreement, their flex spending accounts would increase from $500 a year to $750 a year. Their boot allowance would increase by $50, increasing from $200 a year to $250 a year.
Sick leave would increase from 75 days to 90 days.
There is a new leave of absence for workers to take up to 2 days off to attend the funeral of a friend.
Under the previous collective agreement, Lamont County Housing was paying 60% of total benefits contributions. They have agreed to increase that to 75% in the proposed agreement.
Some shift differentials would increase if workers ratify the tentative agreement:
| Previous | Proposed | |
|---|---|---|
| Evening | $2.25 | $2.25 |
| Night | $2.75 | $3.00 |
| Weekend | $2.50 | $2.50 |
The workers’ bargaining team held a town hall last Saturday to present the tentative agreement to the workers and answer questions.
Voting on the tentative agreement began this past Monday and will end later today.
