The Town of Coaldale and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees could issue a lockout or strike at any time. (Photo: Lethbridge News Now)

By David Opinko

Town of Coaldale issues 72-hour lockout notice to municipal employees

Sep 3, 2025 | 3:19 PM

A tense battle of labour relations has been escalated.

As of Wednesday, September 3, 2025, the Town of Coaldale has served a 72-hour lockout notice to its unionized municipal employees.

‘Today’s notice means the lockout will officially come into effect on Saturday, September 6th at 4:00pm MST,” reads a notice from the Town of Coaldale.

Mayor Jack Van Rijn says council’s goal is to protect the interests of the taxpayers who fund municipal operations, and to demonstrate that they can operate effectively and efficiently without agreeing to unsustainable and entitled demands.

“At the end of the day, our Council is unwilling to pay unionized staff even more than what was already offered – which is already well above what the private sector currently pays for comparable labour. Unfortunately, AUPE called the Town’s final offer ‘insultingly bad,’ and continues to publish press releases rife with misinformation,” says Van Rijn.

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He adds, “Serving lockout notice is not a decision we as a Council take lightly, but it is a necessary step to protect the financial sustainability of our municipality and the taxpayers who fund it. After a year of negotiations with AUPE, it is time for us, as the leaders of this organization, to move forward.”

Despite the lockout, the Town says operations and service levels will continue without disruption.

The municipality has contingency plans to ensure that essential services remain fully operational.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) countered the Town’s lockout by passing a strike vote on Tuesday, Sept. 2.

At the time of publication, it has yet to issue a 72-hour strike notice.

The two sides have been unable to reach a new collective agreement for nearly one full year.

In August, AUPE rejected the Town’s final offer, calling it “insultingly bad.”

The offer included an average wage increase of 17% over four years, as well as:

• 12 paid sick day/year
• 12 paid statutory holidays/year
• Four weeks of paid vacation after two years of service
• One paid personal day per year
• Five paid parental leave days upon the birth or adoption of a child
• A $1,000 annual Health Spending Account
• 100% employer-funded health and dental benefits
• Participation in the LAPP defined benefit pension program
• Standby pay of $60 (weekday), $90 (weekend), and $125 (statutory holiday)
• 2.5X the normal hourly rate of pay on statutory holidays
• $3/hour shift differential for working evenings and weekends
• $250/year winter boot allowance
• $250/year safety boot allowance
• A two per cent vacation pay boost for casual and seasonal employees (from 4% to 6%)

The offer included a few rollbacks, including:

• Overtime rates move from double time (2X) to time-and-a-half (1.5X)
• A partial payout of unused sick leave hours be discontinued, but that the annual number of sick days remain at 12
• Call-outs (for on-call staff) be paid at 1.5X the regular rate of pay as opposed to 2X the rate of pay
• The Group RRSP Program (1%) – a benefit not included in the previous Collective Agreement – be discontinued

The Town of Coaldale said in an open letter to the public that it is standing up for taxpayers and businesses, who fund every salary, wage and benefit the municipality offers its employees, and that “Council has a duty to protect those dollars and ensure services are delivered responsibly.”

“Yet, AUPE has consistently disregarded the private sector as a relevant stakeholder and comparator in our labour negotiations— even though it is the private sector, through taxes, that ultimately foots the bill for public-sector wages.”

The Town has accused AUPE of using intimidation tactics, personal attacks, and misleading or deflective half-truths, all designed to “pressure our Council into submission.”

Union Vice-President Curtis Jackson, however, accuses “these politicians” of having short memories.

He alleges that town council is “attacking their own staff” three years after awarding themselves raises. Council voted in September 2022 to increase the mayor’s salary by $14,413 to $48,276 annually, while each councillor received an additional $6,422 annually, bringing their compensation to $26,760.

READ MORE: Coaldale town council approves pay increases

“When citizens of Coaldale vote this October, they should bear in mind that the council voted to raise the mayor’s salary by 42.01% and to boost their own salaries by 31.71%,” says Jackson.

Jackson also took aim at the $244,324 salary of Town of Coaldale CAO Kalen Hastings, which is outlined in the Town’s 2024 Comparative Analysis, claiming that he has “built an oversized management team around him.”

“With such a buffer between himself and the employees who actually keep the town running, it’s no wonder he’s out of touch with the workforce,” says Jackson.

He adds that the Town appears to have no problem spending money on upper management and “out-of-scope senior staff,” but has “precious little” for those who provide critical services for the community.

AUPE is set to host a community information event along 20 Avenue and 13 Street near the Coaldale Sportplex. It will take place on Friday, Sept. 5, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.