Town of Coaldale employees file unfair labour practice complaint amid lengthy lockout

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on October 14, 2025.

Employees of the Town of Coaldale have filed an unfair labour practice complaint against the township.

Employees allege that the township has not been bargaining in good faith to reach a collective agreement. The town locked out employees on Sept. 6 after they voted in favour of a strike.

“The employer has dragged its feet and put 31 town staff members, their families and the community through unnecessary hardship for the past two months,” reads a statement from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees.

The Town of Coaldale cited vacations and the upcoming municipal election as reasons for delaying bargaining. Employees object to the use of the election as justification for the delay.

AUPE members issued a proposal to the town with the intention of ending the lockout on Oct. 3. AUPE vice-president Curtis Jackson made a statement at that time saying it was incumbent on the town to resolve the lockout quickly rather than deferring the issue to the next term.

The township has offered to meet with the negotiating team Nov. 17 and 18, but town staff’s legal counsel Pat Nugent says the township is not treating the situation with the seriousness or urgency required by the Labour Relations Code. He says the offer of bargaining dates more than five weeks away is in breach of the Code.

Employees are calling for a hearing to address the complaint and demand the resumption of bargaining in good faith.