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HSAA workers to vote on tentative agreement

Earlier this week, the Health Sciences Association of Alberta published an update regarding contract negotiations with Alberta Health Services. HSAA represents nearly 30,000 paramedical technical, professional, and general support workers across Alberta, the bulk of which are employed by AHS. The last contract for the AHS workers who are members of HSAA expired in March 2024, nearly a year and…

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Construction workers try to unionize

Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their latest new applications report for August 2025. In it was an application for union certification. Local 955 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, otherwise known as IUOE, filed the application on 8 August 2025 in behlaf of workers employed by Dufferin Construction Company. A division of the Ireland-based CRH…

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Coaldale workers reject forced vote

Last month, I wrote an article about municipal workers employed with the Town of Coaldale. Their most recent collective agreement expired at the end of 2024. They have been trying to negotiate a new one since last December, but the Town of Coaldale has been dragging their feet on negotiations. These workers have seen their real wages reduced by more than 12% over their last 3 contracts, yet the…

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Why I no longer identify as a communist

About a decade ago, I wrote an article called, “How I finally admitted to being a communist”. It chronicled my journey into radical politics. Since that article, however, I have developed a bit of nuance in how I identify politically, and I no longer call myself a communist. Now, do not take this the wrong way. I still agree with a lot of the tenets of communism, I but I do not take on the…

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Calgary drywallers file for unionization

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report of 2025. In it was an application for union certification. Local 1675 of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America—which represents drywall, acoustic, lathing, and insulation workers—filed the application on 29 July 2025. In it, they say that they are trying to unionize workers at Comex…

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Spruce Grove firm accused of firing unionizer

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report of 2025. In it was an application accusing an employer of unionbusting. Okay, the summary did not actually use unionbusting, but I think it stills counts. Local 805 of the International Association of Bridge, Structural and Ornamental Iron Workers, Shopmen—also known as the Ironworkers—submitted the…

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Red Deer Polytechnic workers propose 26% raise

Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for support workers at Red Deer Polytechnic. AUPE represents over 200 workers in a wide variety of positions at the institution formerly known as Red Deer College. These positions include event services workers, horticulturists, studio technicians, child cared educators,…

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S4 E5 - How a unionized job changed my life

Independent labour journalist Kim Siever has worked in a lot of jobs since he entered the workforce back in 1989. He’s been been a fry cook, a construction worker, a gas jockey (3 times), a retail clerk (5 times), a carpet cleaner, a courier (2 times), a dispatcher, a fleet manager, a processing clerk, a website developer, a communications specialist, a tutor, and a stockperson. Only one of…

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Alberta lost nearly 40,000 FT jobs in July 2025

The federal government released their July 2025 job numbers yesterday, and job numbers are down in Alberta. The net decrease to jobs between last month and June was 16,800, cutting June’s increase of 30,000 by more than half. Since the start of 2025, Alberta has seen a net gain of just 4,800 jobs. Among workers 25 years of age and older, men saw the largest decrease between June and July. There…

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Calgary electrical workers ratify new contract

Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the June 2025 Bargaining Update. This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In June, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 29 private sector and 18 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 12,522 and 2,253 workers…

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Where to celebrate Labour Day 2025 in Alberta

This year, labour councils across Alberta will host free events that are open to the public to commemorate Labour Day. The statutory holiday has been celebrated on the first Monday of September since 1894, and is in line with Labor Day in the United States. However, the two countries are kind of outliers. Over 80 other countries honour the labour of workers on 1 May, also known as May Day or…

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Cinnamon

Sing a hymn of cinnamon Sprinklin’ on the chicken skin Fillin’ up on tryptophan It has been upon the wind Picked up from the litter bin Is it a carcinogen? Since the win in Wimbledon  By the thin Dominican Hidden like a simpleton, Wishin’ for some discipline Citizen on Ritalin Missin’ shots of insulin  Sniffin’ antihistamine Implicit in his vice and sin Glistenin’ on lies and…

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Edmonton continuing care workers file to unionize

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report for July 2025. In it was an application for union certification. Technically it was two applications. The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees filed the first application on 21 July 2025 on behalf of nearly 200 workers employed by 2371281 Ontario Limited. They filed the second application on the same…

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My wheelchair is my invisibility cloak

In the Harry Potter universe, there is a tool that Harry, Hermione, and Ron sometimes use on their adventures: the Cloak of Invisibility. They would throw it over themselves, and no one around them would be able to see them. My wheelchair is kind of like that. It has happened at rallies, meet the teacher nights, art exhibit openings, and airports. Usually when it happens, I am with my…

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Cenovus workers ratify their first contract

Last month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, and Trade published the June 2025 Bargaining Update. This monthly report provides information about the unionized workforce, primarily in Alberta. In June, Mediation Services received settlement information regarding 29 private sector and 18 public sector bargaining settlements, covering 12,522 and 2,253 workers…

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Calgary seniors org workers file to unionize

Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report for July 2025. In it was an application for union certification. Local 4731 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees filed the application on 24 July 2025 on behalf of workers employed by The Calgary Chinese Elderly Citizens’ Association. Based in downtown Calgary, the non-profit organization…

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S4 E4 - Relying on low minimum wages is bad business

Have you ever noticed that every time the minimum wage increases, business owners seem to come out of the woodwork to complain about it? They claim it’ll force them to shut down, that it’ll eat into their margins, and that they’ll have no choice but to charge customers more? In episode 4 of season 4 of the Alberta Worker Podcast, independent labour journalist Kim Siever discuss how if an…