Spruce Grove library workers ratify first contract

Last November, I wrote an article about how workers employed by the Spruce Grove Public Library had unionized.

Well, now they have their first collective agreement.

The 3 dozen or so workers are members of Local 30 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, which also represents municipal workers in Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, and Thorsby.

These workers include pages, clerks, assistants, technicians, librarians, the customer care coordinator, the finance coordinator, the IT coordinator, the marketing and fund development coordinator, the social media coordinator, and the outreach coordinator.

According to the November 2025 Bargaining Update released by Alberta Mediation Services, these workers ratified their first collective agreement this past October.

They are set to receive a 1% increase in the second year and the third year of their new 3-year collective agreement. There is no specified increase in the first year, which is typical for first agreements.

Starting wages for the first year range from $17.30 an hour for pages to $35.72 an hour for librarians.

Here are some highlights of benefits from the first contract.

Workers with a scheduled shift of over 4 hours will receive a 15-minute paid break. If they are scheduled for over 5 hours, they will also received a 45-minute unpaid rest period.

Any worker who shows up for a scheduled shift is entitled to at least 3 hours of pay, even if they are sent home early.

If the employers calls a worker back for more work after they completed their scheduled shift, they shall be paid either a minimum of 3 hours pay at their regular pay rate or the applicable overtime rate, whichever is greater.

Overtime pay is 1.5 times the regular pay rate.

Full-time workers receive a lump sum reimbursement of up to $100 for a taxable wellness benefit. Part-time workers get a $100 health spending account credit.

The employer has agreed to cover 100% of the costs for benefit plans for full-time workers and their dependents, which includes the following:

• Life insurance at twice a worker’s annual earnings for the most recently completed calendar year
• Prescription drug plan, with an annual cap of $5000 on prescriptions but no copays
• Basic comprehensive dental services with recall exams every 6 months and no copays. Orthodontic and major dental services are subject to a 50% copay
• Up to $500 per person every 24 months for prescription contact lenses, eyeglasses, or laser surgery. $100 per person every 24 months for eye exams
• Up to $500 per person every 3 years for hearing aids, including repairs and batteries
• 1 pair of orthotic devices per person per year if prescribed by an orthopaedic surgeon, podiatrist, or chiropodist
• Out-of-province medical coverage.
• Up to $500.00 per person per year, per specialty, for the following specialties:
  • Acupuncturist
  • Chiropodist
  • Chiropractor
  • Homeopath
  • Naturopath
  • Osteopath
  • Physiotherapist
  • Podiatrist
  • (Psychologist
  • Speech pathologist, massage therapist, dietician (with physician referral)

Workers get 1.5 days of sick leave for every month of service, pro-rated for part-time workers, up to 680 hours. Anyone who is on sick leave for more than 3 days may need a doctor’s note, but the employer will cover the cost of the note, up to $50. Sick leave can be used for preventative medical and dental care but in half-day increments.

Workers get vacation time according to how long they have been employed with the library, and vacation time can be carried over into the following year but only to a maximum of 2 weeks worth, except for special circumstances.

Length of service	Annual vacation hours
Up to 5 years	105.56
5 years	112.84
6 years	120.12
7 years	129.22
8 years	140.00
9 years	147.42
10 years	156.52
11 years	165.62
12 years	174.72
13 years	183.82
14 years	192.92
15 years	202.02
16+ years	211.12

Compassionate care leave to care for a seriously ill family member is 27 weeks and is unpaid.

Adoption, maternity, and parental leave is a maximum of 18 months and is unpaid.

Domestic violence leave is up to 10 days of paid leave.

Critical illness leave is up to 5 days and will be unpaid. Same goes for bereavement leave. This applies for family members who are parent (including in-law) or guardian, spouse (including common-law), sibling (including in-law), child, grandparent, grandchild, aunt, uncle, nibling, cousin, or a relative who resides in the worker’s residence.

There are 12 paid holidays, which are used to determine stat pay:

The new collective agreement will expire at the end of 2027.