Unionized workers at Hat care home sign new contract

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 10, 2022.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

Unionized workers at a Medicine Hat care home signed a new contract in November to replace a long-expired deal with a new employer, according to new summary of bargaining that includes major raises for unionized tradespeople.

A four-year agreement with 128 employees of Age Care Riverview provides largely retroactive wage increases in the range of 1 to 1.5 per cent annually, but is set to expire again in March 2023.

The Age Care group acquired the seniors home located near Medicine Hat Regional Hospital last January from Revera.

The settlement was listed in the Alberta Labour bargaining update for November that was published this week.

The summary shows a number of post-secondary contracts coming in and similar public sector contract of recent months, namely with multi-year wage freezes, but with 2.75 per cent hikes in the final year and stipulations for a bonus based on economic factors.

Larger increases were seen in the construction sector, including sweeping settlements on large project work through 2025.

A province-wide agreement between 14,000 members of the Pipefitters Local No. 488 and the Alberta Construction Association will see workers get an immediate 7.5 per cent increase, then an additional 7.6 per cent raise over the course of the three-year pact.

That pertains to mechanical work, while 300 industrial plumbers get 11 per cent by the end of 2024 and a multi-union agreement on roofing gives 6.6 per cent over three years.

The Pipeline Contractors Association and Teamsters No. 363 settled at an additional 12.5 per cent over three years.

About 1,000 PCL Energy workers represented by CLAC No. 63 will get a 10.2 per cent wage hike in 2022, then 4 per cent and wage re-opening clause to conclude a three-year agreement.

TransAlta and IBEW No. 254 settled a new contract providing raises of 13.25 per cent over five years.

In the municipal sphere, the 900 members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees with the City of Red Deer have agreed to two-year wage freeze to update a two-year expired contract, but get a 1.5 per cent raise this year and an unspecified “one-time relief inflation payment.”

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