City power line workers have a new contract after council ratified a four-year contract settlement on Monday night . -- News File Photo
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Power line workers with the City of Medicine Hat have a new contract that provides a nine per cent pay increase over four years.
City council endorsed the deal negotiated between human resource officials and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local No. 254, with a 9-0 vote on the added agenda item at Monday’s regular meeting.
The deal replaces a collective agreement that expired at the end of 2023, and will provide a retroactive raise of 2.5 per cent as of Jan.1 of this year.
Over the next three years raises of 2.25, 2.0 and 2.5 will be applied on Jan. 1, respectively, until the end of 2027.
Three years ago, the union and city negotiated contracts simultaneously for two units represented by IBEW No. 254, including power distribution and a second comprising operational staff at the power and water treatment plants.
A new agreement with plant workers is still outstanding, as the former pact expired at the same time as the line shop’s on Dec. 31, 2023.
City firefighters are also without a current contract.
The local deal also follows a settlement of contract in Lethbridge, where that city’s council agreed to a three-year deal with electrical workers also represented by IBEW No. 254.
It provides raises of 3, 2.5 and 2.5 per cent per year, but was largely retroactive and will expire at the end of 2025.
The Medicine Hat agreement will be in place until the end of 2027.
The city’s contract with 800 inside, outside and transit workers represented by CUPE 46 will expire at the end of 2026.
The current contract with the Medicine Hat Police Association ends Dec. 31. Members of the International Association of Firefighters, No. 263, have been without a contract since the end of 2022.
