Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees posted an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Strathcona County.
AUPE represents about 180 municipal workers employed by the county, including drivers, concrete workers, survey workers, equipment operators, wastewater workers, welders, mechanics, utility workers, instrument technicians, electricians, and labourers.
The last collective agreement for these workers expired at the end of 2024, nearly a year and a half ago.
Negotiations did not begin until the month after the contract expired, however. Even then, the employer did not present a wage offer until last November, nearly a year after expiry.
| 2025 | 3.00% |
| 2026 | 2.00% |
| 2027 | 2.00% |
That would have been a combined 7% over 3 years, or 2.33% per year, on average. Over the last year or so, public sector workers have been typically receiving 12% over 4 years, for an annual average of 3%, so this is less than that.
Here is how that 7% offer compares to the last 2 collective agreements.
| 2020 | 0.50% |
| 2021 | 0.00% |
| 2022 | 1.00% |
| 2023 | 2.50% |
| 2024 | 2.50% |
In the 5 years leading up to when their last collective agreement expired, these workers received a combined wage increase of 6.5%. That works out to an annual average of just 1.3%.
The wage increases Strathcona County had proposed to their workers was certainly better the 1.3% they got per year in their last 2 collective agreements.
But there is some more context we must keep in mind.
Between January 2019 and January 2024, the consumer price index in Alberta rose by 25.4 points, from 140.5 to 165.9. That is an 18.08% increase.
Because inflation was 18.08% during the same period that these workers received a combined 6.5% increase, that increase was actually a real wage cut of 11.58%.
A 7% wage increase would not have been enough to make up for a loss of 11.58% in real wages. As well, remember that the 7% would have been spread out over 3 years, which means another 3 years of inflation.
And inflation between January 2024 and April 2025 (the most recent data available) has already increased 6.45%, which is already nearly everything that Strathcona County had proposed for the entire contract.
According to last week’s update, a majority of workers who participated in a ratification vote on a tentative agreement chose to support that agreement, which ended up being, unexpectedly, an annual increase of 3% over 3 years.
| 1 January 2025 | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2026 | 3.00% |
| 1 January 2027 | 3.00% |
| 9.00% |
The first two increases will be retroactive since half of the contract, which expires at the end of next year, has already gone by. Unfortunately, the workers may not see that retroactive pay until August.
Another change to the collective agreement will be an increase to the flex spending account. Next January, it will jump to $1,000 per year for all eligible workers.
Family illness leave has changed from 24 hours per year to 4 days per year for regular workers.
The boot allowance has increased from $200 per year to $300 per year. The maximum carryover has also increased from $200 to $300.
There is a new prescription safety glasses allowance of $200 per year. Previously, it was lumped in with the boots into a safety equipment allowance.
The tool allowance increased from $600 per year to $700 per year.
The new collective agreement was ratified on 13 May 2026.
