Last month, Alberta Mediation Services published their May 2026 Bargaining Update.
The monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta.
Information published in this month’s report is based on the details from 27 collective bargaining agreements they received in May. Those agreements collectively covered nearly 4,000 workers, most of which were in the public sector.
The private sector submitted 14 collective agreements for over 1,500 workers, and the public sector submitted 13 agreements for more than 2,400 workers.
One of the private sector agreements was for about 50 workers employed by Baymag Inc.
With their headquarters in Calgary, Baymag oversees the extraction and production of magnesite ore.
These workers include all production, maintenance, and lab workers at the company’s Exshaw production facility and are represented by Local D331 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers.
The positions include labourers, packers, plant attendants, lab technicians, control room operators, and tradespersons.
The casino workers ratified their new 4-year collective agreement in November 2025, 5 months after their previous one had expired.
Workers will see wage increases in every year of the new contract:
| 4 June 2025 | 4.50% |
| 4 June 2026 | 3.50% |
| 4 June 2027 | 3.00% |
| 4 June 2028 | 2.50% |
| 13.50% |
This is better than the 12% over 4 years that public sector workers kept getting over the last year, as well as better than the 12.56% these workers received in their last collective agreement.
Here are some other changes between the previous agreement and the new agreement.
The following clause was added to the new collective agreement:
The company will hire up to 2 summer students each year to assist in providing temporary vacation coverage in the laboratory, provided there is a demonstrated need based on vacation requests submitted by March 31. The employer will provide the union with copies of denied vacation requests if needed.
As was this one:
In the event that an employee withdraws their application for a job bid after the closing date but before the awarding of the position, the employee shall be prohibited from reapplying for the same position or any other position within the same classification for a period of 6 months.
The anti-discrimination article was changed from this:
There shall be no discrimination by the company or union based on race, colour, creed, national origin, sex or union membership.
to this:
There shall be no discrimination by the company or union based on mental disability, physical disability, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religious beliefs, age, marital status, family status, source of income, or Union membership.
Under the previous agreement, hours worked on scheduled days off will be paid at a rate of 1.5 times the regular base rate for the first 11 hours and 2 times for any hours thereafter. In the new agreement, the threshold for double time was lowered to 10 hours.
Meal allowance has been increased from $15 to $20 for workers who have to work more than 2 hours beyond their scheduled shift.
The weekend shift premium increased from $42.5 an hour to $4.50 an hour. the night shift premium increased from $1.25 an hour to $1.50 an hour; although it will increase to $1.75 an hour next year.
Workers who work more than 60 hours a week shall be paid double time, something that was not in the previous agreement.
All training that workers must attend outside of their regularly scheduled shifts will be paid at a rate of 1.5 times their regular base rate. In the previous agreement, they were paid just their regular rate.
Reimbursement for safety clothing and protective equipment has increased from $275 per year to $350 per year, except for prescription safety glasses, which increased fropm $425 per year to $500 per year.
Workers can now carry over $350 of any of their unused boot allowance into the following year, Previously, they could carry over jut $275. The boot allowance itself has increased from $275 per year to $250. The maximum combined allowance is $700, up from $550. As well, the allowance now includes molded ear plugs.
Weekly indemnity for short-term disability has increased from a maximum of $1,200 to a maximum of $1,500.
Maximum payable for long-term disability will increase from $3,600 per month to $5,100 per month next year and then to $5,200 per month as of June 2028.
Workers can now use their 3 days of sick leave for medical appointments and caring for family members, not just when they themselves are sick. As well, any unused sick time will be paid out at the end of the year.
The maximum for matching RRSP contributions increased from $269 per paycheque to $280 per paycheque, but it jumped to $290 last month. It will increased to $295 next June and $300 in June 2028.
