Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the June 2024 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. Last month, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 30 private sector and 11 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 2,728 and 1,181 workers respectively.
Two of those settlements was between Plains Midstream Canada and Locals 530A and 746 of Unifor, representing workers in Fort Saskatchewan and Medicine Hat, respectively.
Their previous contract for the Fort Saskatchewan workers expired this past January, while the Medicine Hat workers had been without a new contract since their last one expired the previous January.
Both Plains Midstream and the workers at both sites approved these new contracts on 23 March 2024, but Mediation Services only recently received the contract.
Based out of Texas, Plains Midstream also has locations in Canada, including the ones in Fort Saskatchewan, where over 50 workers produce propane, butane, and condensate, and Medicine Hat, where just under 50 workers process natural gas.
Here’s a look at the wage increases for the new 3-year contracts.
| Medicine Hat | Fort Saskatchewan | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 February 2023 | 5.0% | — |
| 1 February 2024 | 3.5% | 5.0% |
| 1 February 2025 | 3.5% | 3.5% |
| 1 February 2026 | — | 3.5% |
Remember, the Medicine Hat workers are having their contract backdated to last year, which makes their new 3-year contract expire in 2026, while the Fort Saskatchewan workers start their new contract this year, which will end in 2027.
Here are some more highlights from the new contracts.
The Fort Saskatchewan workers will not qualify for a night shift premium, something that wasn’t available in their previous contract. This will apply to all hours worked between 17:30 and 05:30 the following morning.
Under their previous contract, Medicine Hat workers were provided a meal by the company. If they didn’t take the meal, they were entitled to a $21 payment in lieu of the meal. This has been increased to $25 in their new contract.
Fort Saskatchewan workers who were asked to work outside their normal work schedule, referred to as “call out”, were to be paid the greater of actual time worked at the overtime rate or just two hours at the overtime rate. That minimum has been increased to three hours in the new contract.
The boot allowance for the Fort Saskatchewan workers will increase by $50 in the new contract, increasing from $300 a year to $350.
