Earlier this month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the June 2025 Bargaining Update.
This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In June, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 29 private sector and 18 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 12,522 and 2,253 workers respectively.
Among those settlements was a contract for about 30 workers employed by the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra Association.
Local 547 of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada, also known as the Calgary Musicians Association, represents the musicians who put on the shows.
These workers include carpenters, fly technicians, electricians, sound technicians, prop handlers, wardrobe crew, forklift operators, riggers, and crane operators.
Their previous contract expired last month. Their new contract was ratified last month and will run until June 2028. This is the same length as their previous contract.
The workers are set to receive wage increases in each year of the new contract.
| 2025–2026 | 1.00% |
| 2026–2027 | 3.00% |
| 2027–2028 | 4.00% |
This will result in a combined increase of 8% over the life of the collective agreement, or 8.19% if you account for compound increases. That averages out to 2.67% (2.73%) per year.
By the end of the contract, their base rate will be $134.54 per session, up from $124.35 per session at the end of their previous contract.
That is much better than their last contract which was a wage freeze in the first year and 1% raise in each of the next two years, which is what they got in the contract before that. The contract before those two (2016–2019) was even worse, with two wage freezes and a final increase of just 0.85%.
Here is a look at the last 3 contracts.
| 2016–2017 | 0.00% |
| 2017–2018 | 0.00% |
| 2018–2019 | 0.85% |
| 2019–2020 | 0.00% |
| 2020–2021 | 1.00% |
| 2021–2022 | 1.00% |
| 2022–2023 | 0.00% |
| 2023–2024 | 1.00% |
| 2024–2025 | 1.00% |
Over a 9-year period, they ended up with a combined increase of 4.85%, less than the combined increase in just this new contract. It is a great thing that their raises are significantly higher now.
Unfortunately, they fall short of making up for the increased cost of living.
Between September 2015 and September 2024 (their last raise), the consumer price index in Alberta increased 34.6 points, from 134.6 to 169.2. That is a 25.71% increase.
Because these workers received a combined wage bump of 4.85% while inflation was 25.71%, they are left with a cut to real wages of 20.86%.
An 8% raise will still leave them with a real wage cut of 12.86%, and that is not even accounting for the inflation that will surely occur over the course of their new contract.
Here are some highlights of other things that have changed in this new contract.
The following clause:
Adequate and sufficient music parts will be provided for every musician (string parts bowed) at least 2 weeks prior to the first rehearsal of the work.
has been changed to:
Adequate and sufficient music parts will be provided for every musician (string parts bowed), in digital form (.PDF) at least 14 days prior to the first rehearsal of the work, and in hard copy at least ten (10) days prior to the first rehearsal of the work.
Unpaid business leave has been changed from 2 concerts in each season to 5 services in each season.
The audition process has changed. Under the previous contract, the audition committees for the string, woodwind, and brass positions would consist of the music director, the concertmaster, and all the principals in that section. Plus, the string audition committee would include a section player.
In the new contract, the audition committee still includes the music direction and concertmaster, but now it is the principal of the section being auditioned for, as well as two other players, which can be from that section or another principal player from the same instrument family.
