Alberta faces back-to-back negotiations with two of the province's largest unions

Globe and Mail

10-05-2025

Thousands of public sector employees in Alberta are voting on whether they should go on strike, after negotiations with the provincial government over pay increases stalled last month.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE), which represents around 23,500 public sector workers who are directly employed by the government of Alberta in correctional facilities, health care and other agencies, started voting Thursday on whether its members should walk off the job. The strike vote will continue until Monday and results are expected on May 14.
'By voting 'yes' to strike, you send a strong, unmistakable signal that AUPE workers demand to be treated fairly and with respect,' an AUPE statement said on Wednesday.
The union rejected the latest offer from the province two weeks ago, saying the 11.5-per-cent pay increase, which would be unevenly distributed across the union's different sectors over a period of four years, is not enough to regain the purchasing power its members have lost to inflation over the last six years. AUPE is asking for a 24-per-cent increase over four years.
In an e-mail to The Globe and Mail, AUPE president Guy Smith said many of its members are struggling to make ends meet and that the union won't settle for less than what its members deserve.
'Workers in this province and across the country are daring to dream right now, and that means fighting for not just the status quo, but for a better standard of living and quality public services for Albertans,' he said.
Meanwhile, the Alberta Teachers' Association (ATA), which represents 51,000 members working in public, Catholic and Francophone schools, rejected a mediator-recommended agreement this week that would see them receive a 15-per-cent pay increase over four years. The ATA may also soon vote to strike pending any last-minute resolution.
IATA president Jason Schilling told The Globe teachers went years without wage increases to then only get modest hikes from 2020-2024.
'Teachers are looking for salary increases that reflect lost purchasing power along with addressing inflation moving forward,' he said in an e-mail.
Mr. Schilling added the offer didn't go far enough to address concerns about overcrowding in classes.
The negotiations with the two unions come under the shadow of Alberta's most recent budget, which projected a $5.2-billion deficit.
The province has applied for a lockout to take effect if members vote in favour of a strike. If that were to happen, AUPE employees will be forced not to work during a lockout.
The negotiations with two of Alberta's largest unions comes not long after a weeks-long strike by school support workers was resolved and after Alberta nurses also reached a new deal with the province.
The back-to-back negotiations are a novelty, and unlike anything the province has dealt with previously, says Alvin Finkel, an Alberta labour historian.
'At one time, all of these groups were quite well paid.' he said. 'You don't have to go very far back to find that we had the highest paid teachers in the country. We had the highest paid nurses.'
Now, Mr. Finkel said, the unions are becoming more combative as the United Conservative government becomes more hostile towards labour movements.
Moshe Lander, a senior economics lecturer at Concordia University in Montreal, who is also an Alberta resident and taxpayer, said inflation has been mostly stable for the last three decades, giving unions fewer gripes in terms of pay.
But rapid inflation in recent years and high cost of living are leading to more strikes from labour unions. From WestJet pilots to Canada Post, such actions are becoming commonplace across the country. Mr. Lander said Alberta's unions are no different, and will 'use the playbook' of firm demands and strike action that's been effective for other workers over these past two years.
Mr. Lander pointed out that public sector workers such as teachers and the AUPE have some leverage. But the province's tough budget leaves them with two choices – negotiate to an appropriate deal, or let the union absorb the consequences of their budgeting process.
In an e-mail to the Globe, Justin Brattinga, press secretary for Alberta's Ministry of Finance, said negotiations are backed by market data and offers have been fair.
'We will continue to make offers informed by data, not rhetoric,' he said.
Still, Mr. Lander questioned whether some of the labour unions are bargaining for more than what the province should give. If what's being asked for is above cost-of-living adjustment, Mr. Lander said it needs to be backed by improvements in productivity.
'If you can justify your wage increase over and above inflation with a productivity gain, then it's justified, and there should be no problem with a handshake deal in seconds,' he said.