Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their latest new applications report for March 2024. In it was an application for union certification.
Local 4351 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees filed the application on 5 March 2025 on behalf of 28 workers employed by Associated Ambulance and Services (Whitecourt) Ltd.
Based out of Edmonton, Associated Ambulance provides paramedical services in over 20 locations in Northern Alberta and Central Alberta. It’s the second largest ambulance operator in Alberta.
The workers CUPE is trying to organize, according to the application, are “all ambulance attendants in Red Deer”, which are about two dozen.
Local 4351 has already unionized Associated Ambulance workplaces in Breton, Drayton Valley, Lac La Biche, Mayerthorpe, Smoky Lake, Sylvan Lake, Thorhild, Vilna, and Westlock.
If they’re successful in unionizing the Red Deer location, it’ll be the first time since 2017 that they’ve unionized another Associated Ambulance location.
For a workplace to be considered as a bargaining unit, those filing the application must demonstrate that 40% of the workers are interested in unionizing.
In this case, that would amount to 10 workers. Should the ALRB approve the application as hold a certification vote, the union would need to get just 3 more workers on board—assuming those original 10 vote in favour—to get a simple majority.
Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new application reports, I’d included a copy of this week’s report below.
