CUPE Local 2545 and Fort McMurray Public School Division finalize seven-year collective agreement covering school support staff

The deal runs from September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2028 and includes multi-year wage increases ranging from 1.25% to 3% annually, plus enhancements to the Health Spending Account and a new Term Employee framework.

At a glance

Union: Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2545
Employer: Fort McMurray Public School Division (FMPSD)
Province: Alberta
Term: September 1, 2021 – August 31, 2028
Ratified: March 17, 2025 | Signed: July 16, 2025
Top wage: $47.61/hr (Operations & Maintenance/Technology, Band 5, Job Rate, effective September 1, 2027)
Vacation: Two weeks after year one, scaling to five weeks or more based on years of service
Benefits: Employer pays 100% of premiums for Alberta Health Care, Extended Health, Life, LTD, AD&D, and Dental; Health Spending Account up to $700/year by 2026

Wages

School Division Support Positions

Band	Sept 1, 2023 Start	Sept 1, 2023 Job	Feb 1, 2024 Start	Feb 1, 2024 Job	Sept 1, 2024 Start	Sept 1, 2024 Job
1	$24.73	$26.40	$25.10	$26.79	$25.85	$27.60
2	$25.61	$27.31	$25.99	$27.72	$26.77	$28.55
3	$26.53	$28.21	$26.93	$28.63	$27.73	$29.49
4	$27.40	$29.09	$27.81	$29.53	$28.64	$30.41
5	$28.29	$29.99	$28.71	$30.44	$29.57	$31.35

Band	Sept 1, 2025 Start	Sept 1, 2025 Job	Sept 1, 2026 Start	Sept 1, 2026 Job	Sept 1, 2027 Start	Sept 1, 2027 Job
1	$27.10	$28.85	$27.91	$29.71	$29.16	$30.96
2	$28.02	$29.80	$28.86	$30.69	$30.11	$31.94
3	$28.98	$30.74	$29.85	$31.66	$31.10	$32.91
4	$29.89	$31.66	$30.79	$32.61	$32.04	$33.86
5	$30.82	$32.60	$31.75	$33.58	$33.00	$34.83

Increases: 1.25% (Sept 1, 2023), 1.50% (Feb 1, 2024), 3% (Sept 1, 2024), greater of $1.25/hr or 3% (Sept 1, 2025), 3% (Sept 1, 2026), greater of $1.25/hr or 3% (Sept 1, 2027).

Operations and Maintenance/Technology Positions

Band	Sept 1, 2023 Start	Sept 1, 2023 Job	Feb 1, 2024 Start	Feb 1, 2024 Job	Sept 1, 2024 Start	Sept 1, 2024 Job
1	$32.78	$34.45	$33.28	$34.96	$34.27	$36.01
2	$34.58	$36.25	$35.10	$36.79	$36.15	$37.89
3	$36.36	$38.03	$36.90	$38.60	$38.01	$39.76
4	$38.18	$39.83	$38.75	$40.43	$39.92	$41.64
5	$39.96	$41.66	$40.56	$42.29	$41.78	$43.56

Band	Sept 1, 2025 Start	Sept 1, 2025 Job	Sept 1, 2026 Start	Sept 1, 2026 Job	Sept 1, 2027 Start	Sept 1, 2027 Job
1	$35.52	$37.26	$36.59	$38.38	$37.84	$39.63
2	$37.40	$39.14	$38.52	$40.32	$39.77	$41.57
3	$39.26	$41.01	$40.44	$42.24	$41.69	$43.51
4	$41.17	$42.89	$42.40	$44.18	$43.67	$45.50
5	$43.03	$44.87	$44.32	$46.22	$45.65	$47.61

Custodial Positions

Classification	Sept 1, 2023 Start	Sept 1, 2023 Job	Sept 1, 2024 Start	Sept 1, 2024 Job	Sept 1, 2025 Start	Sept 1, 2025 Job	Sept 1, 2026 Start	Sept 1, 2026 Job	Sept 1, 2027 Start	Sept 1, 2027 Job
Custodian	$22.93	$24.60	$23.98	$25.72	$25.23	$26.97	$25.98	$27.78	$27.23	$29.03
Head Custodian	$25.63	$27.31	$26.79	$28.55	$28.04	$29.80	$28.88	$30.69	$30.13	$31.94

Wage Increase Schedule Summary

Effective Date	Increase
September 1, 2023	1.25%
February 1, 2024	1.50%
September 1, 2024	3.00%
September 1, 2025	Greater of $1.25/hr or 3%
September 1, 2026	3.00%
September 1, 2027	Greater of $1.25/hr or 3%

All pay rates are retroactive to September 1, 2021 per Article 31.02. Employees who left employment during the period between the effective date and signing may claim retroactive adjustments within 30 calendar days of signing.

Benefits

Alberta Health Care: Employer pays 100% of premiums for employees and eligible dependants, commencing one month and one day after hire into a permanent position.
Extended Health Care: Employer pays 100% of premiums effective the first day following one month of active service.
Life Insurance: Employer pays 100% of premiums.
Long-Term Disability (LTD): Employer pays 100% of premiums; employees become eligible after one year of service; LTD takes effect after 90 continuous calendar days of disability.
Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D): Employer pays 100% of basic AD&D premiums.
Dental Care: Employer pays 100% of monthly premiums for eligible employees.
Pension: All employees whose regular schedule is 30 or more hours per week must enroll in the Local Authorities Pension Plan (LAPP); contributions shared by employer and employee per plan provisions.
Health Spending Account (HSA): Available to employees with one year of full service working a minimum of 20 hours per week. Annual employer contribution: $580 (base), increasing to $640 effective September 1, 2025, and $700 effective September 1, 2026. Unused balances carry forward one plan year.
Eligibility threshold: Employees must complete 31 calendar days of service for most plans (one full year for LTD) and work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
Northern Living Allowance: $3,605 per year (non-casual employees), paid over 20 pay periods from September to June, subject to the Fort McMurray Allowance (FMA) framework.
Workers’ Compensation: Employer continues regular pay while a WCB claim is adjudicated, for up to six calendar months from the date of injury.

Hours, Overtime & Scheduling

Regular Hours of Work

Educational Assistants (full-time): Up to 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday, all teaching days as required.
Educational Assistants (part-time): Minimum 15 hours, less than 35 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
Administrative Assistants, Accounting Clerks, Custodians, Library Assistants, Maintenance/Technology, Division Office Support: Up to 40 hours per week, Monday to Friday.
Custodians and Maintenance/Technology (full-time): Up to 40 hours per week over five days.

Rest and Meal Breaks

All employees are entitled to two paid 15-minute rest periods per shift (one per half-shift). Employees working four hours or less receive one paid 15-minute rest period.
A minimum 30-minute unpaid meal break is standard; employees whose workplace provides less than 30 minutes receive a paid half-hour lunch break instead.

Overtime

Overtime is defined as all time worked beyond the regular scheduled workday or work week, or time worked on a Paid General Holiday.
Overtime is compensated at 1.75 times (time and three-quarters) the regular rate.
Employees may choose paid overtime or time off in lieu at the applicable overtime rate, by mutual agreement; the decision must be made at the time overtime is requested.
Accumulated time off in lieu cannot exceed five working days.
School-based employees may only take in-lieu time on non-instructional days, except in exceptional circumstances.
Overtime is equalized among qualified employees by a rotating seniority-based list; no extended overtime may be worked while qualified employees are on layoff.
Call-back guarantee: Employees called back outside regular hours are paid a minimum of three hours at overtime rates, plus 30 minutes at regular rate for travel per additional call.
Meal allowance: Employees required to work more than three hours overtime immediately following their regular shift are entitled to a meal or $20 meal allowance.

Shift Differentials

Afternoon shift (commencing after 2:00 p.m. but not later than 10:00 p.m.): $1.00/hr premium.
Night shift (commencing after 10:00 p.m., concluding before 7:30 a.m.): $1.50/hr premium. Employees on afternoon or night shifts are not eligible for the paid 30-minute lunch break.
Weekend shift (within the 48-hour window between 7:30 a.m. Saturday and 7:30 a.m. Monday): $0.75/hr premium.

Scheduling

Work schedules must be posted and may not be changed without five days’ advance written notice to affected employees and the union.
Proposed permanent shift schedule changes affecting a group of employees must be presented to the Professional Forum for discussion before implementation.
All employees must receive written confirmation of their hours of work and term of employment within 15 working days of commencing work.

Leaves & Time Off

Vacation Entitlement

The vacation year is based on the employee’s date of hire.

Years of Service	Vacation Entitlement
0 (first year)	Accrual begins at hire
As specified in Schedule A	Increases with years of employment per agreement schedule

Note: The agreement references a vacation entitlement table within the document (Article 19.01) but the specific year-by-year breakdown table was not fully reproduced in the available text. The agreement confirms entitlement grows with years of service, with employees eligible for 20 or more days able to bank up to 10 additional working days once every two years.

School-based employees on summer layoff may carry over vacation entitlement to cover school closure periods (Christmas, Teachers’ Convention, exam weeks, spring break) in the subsequent school year. Any remaining entitlement is paid out at end of June.

Non-school-based employees have vacation scheduled by October/November each year based on seniority preference, with custodians subject to a designated break period of up to four weeks.

Paid General Holidays

Holiday
New Year’s Day
Family Day
Good Friday
Monday During Spring Break
Victoria Day
Canada Day
Heritage Day
Labour Day
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Thanksgiving Day
Remembrance Day
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
Three (3) Floating Days
Half day on the last working day before Christmas (excluding school-based Administrative and Educational Assistants)
Any day proclaimed as a holiday by Federal, Provincial, or Municipal Governments

Floating Days are taken at a time mutually agreeable to the employee and employer. School-based Administrative and Educational Assistants receive pay in lieu of the half-day holiday on a prorated straight-time basis.

Other Leaves

Sick Leave: 1.5 days per month to a maximum of 18 days in the first year of employment; reset to 60 working days on September 1 of each subsequent year. Employees may use up to eight accumulated sick days per year for illness in the family (child, spouse, or parent) and up to four days per year to transport a family member for health care services unavailable in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
Bereavement/Critical Illness Leave: Up to five consecutive working days with pay for the death or critical illness of a parent, partner, sibling, child, in-laws, grandparent, grandchild, aunts, uncles, former guardian, fiancé(e), or an elder of an employee’s Aboriginal tribe. Where critical illness or funeral occurs outside the province, up to four additional working days for travel. Leave may be split between the time of death and a later funeral or memorial service.
Pallbearer’s Leave: One day with pay to attend a funeral as a pallbearer; travel time may be granted on request.
Parental/Maternity Leave: Granted without pay in accordance with the Alberta Employment Standards Code. The employer maintains a Supplemental Unemployment Benefit (SUB) Plan for the health-related portion of maternity leave. Benefit premiums are covered by the division during the eligibility period under the Code.
Jury Duty / Subpoenaed Witness Leave: Leave without loss of seniority or benefits; employer tops up pay to the difference between normal earnings and jury/witness fees (excluding travel and meal allowances).
Union Functions Leave: With pay and benefits, subject to 10 days’ written notice; union reimburses employer within 30 calendar days.
General Leave: Leave without pay and without loss of seniority, for good and sufficient cause, by written request.
Special Leave: Up to two days per school year with pay and benefits for exceptional and unusual circumstances, subject to superintendent approval; cannot be requested if unused Floating Days remain.
Compassionate Leave: Leave without pay for employees approved for federal Employment Insurance Compassionate Leave; employer pays full benefit plan premiums during the leave.
Leave for Public Affairs/Union Office: Unpaid leave without loss of seniority for candidates in federal, provincial, or municipal elections or for employees elected/selected to full-time or part-time union positions (renewable annually).

Other Highlights

Job Security, Layoff & Recall

Contracting out: The employer agrees not to subcontract, transfer, lease, assign, or convey work currently performed by CUPE Local 2545 bargaining unit members if doing so would result in the loss of employment for any bargaining unit member.
Layoff definition: A reduction in the workforce or a reduction in regular hours of more than 30 minutes per day. For school-based employees on 10-month schedules, the summer months constitute an annual layoff.
Order of layoff: Employees are laid off in reverse order of seniority. Laid-off employees may first replace the least senior employee in the same job title, then the least senior employee in any position in the bargaining unit for which they are qualified.
Recall: Employees are recalled in order of seniority, provided they have the qualifications and ability to do the available work. No new employees may be hired until qualified laid-off employees have been offered recall.
Advance notice: Written notice of layoff is required four weeks prior to the effective date for layoffs anticipated to exceed two weeks. If the employee cannot complete four full weeks of work after notice, pay in lieu is provided for that portion. Exception applies in the event of a teacher work stoppage.
Termination pay: Employees with eight or more years of seniority who are laid off and choose not to access recall may receive termination pay ranging from one week per year (first five years) to three weeks per year (years 11–15), to a maximum of 30 weeks.
Benefit continuation: Employer pays full benefit plan premiums for laid-off employees for periods of less than three months; employees may continue coverage by paying full premiums for longer layoffs.
Seniority loss: Seniority is only lost upon just-cause dismissal without reinstatement, written resignation not withdrawn within three calendar days, unexplained absence of three or more consecutive working days, failure to return to work within seven calendar days of a recall notice, or a layoff exceeding two years.

Grievance & Arbitration Procedure

Definition: A grievance is any difference arising from the interpretation, application, administration, or alleged violation of the collective agreement.
Time limit to file: Grievances must be initiated within two months of the event giving rise to the grievance.
Steps:
- Step 1: Employee (with union representative if desired) raises the dispute with the supervisor.
- Step 2: If unresolved within five working days, the union submits a written grievance to the Associate Superintendent, Business and Finance, who must respond within 10 working days.
- Step 3: If unresolved, the union advances the grievance to the Superintendent within five working days; the Superintendent responds within 10 working days.
- Step 4: If unresolved, the union may refer the matter to arbitration within 45 days of the Step 3 decision.
Discharge and suspension grievances commence at Step 3. Layoff and recall grievances also commence at Step 3. Safety grievances may be filed directly at Step 3.
Policy grievances (general application or interpretation) may bypass Steps 1 and 2.
Mediation may be used by mutual consent; costs split equally.
Arbitration: A three-member board (one nominee per party, plus a mutually agreed chairperson) hears and decides the matter. Costs of the chairperson are split equally. The arbitration board’s decision is final and binding; it cannot alter the agreement. In discipline and discharge cases, the board may substitute another penalty it deems just and equitable. Parties may agree to use a single arbitrator instead of a full board.
All grievance replies must be in writing with reasons stated.
Employees do not suffer any loss of pay or benefits for time spent in grievance or arbitration procedures.

Health & Safety

The employer and union commit to cooperating on rules and practices that enhance physiological and psychological working conditions and protect employees from health and safety hazards.
A Division Health and Safety Committee is established with representation from CUPE Local 2545, the Alberta Teachers Association, out-of-scope staff, and division management, with a minimum of five union members. The committee monitors, inspects, investigates, and reviews health and safety conditions.
Committee members are paid for time spent on committee duties.
Right to refuse: Employees may refuse work they believe is unsafe or unhealthy to themselves, a workmate, or an unborn child, or where work would violate applicable health and safety legislation. No employee may be penalized, disciplined, or suffer loss of pay or seniority for refusing unsafe work.
No other worker may be ordered to perform work that has been refused until the Health and Safety Committee has investigated and the matter is satisfactorily resolved.
The employer pays transportation costs to the nearest physician or hospital for employees injured on the job.
First aid kits and accident logbooks are provided at each school and other appropriate locations.
The employer funds first aid instruction and certification maintenance for designated employees at each school and in the maintenance/technology department.

Non-Discrimination & Equity Language

The agreement prohibits discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, ancestry, colour, place of origin, religious beliefs, political affiliation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, place of residence, age, sexual orientation, physical disability, mental disability, family status, source of income, or union membership and activity. The employer must maintain a formal policy on discrimination and harassment, and complaints are addressed through that policy as the initial step.

The preamble acknowledges that the agreement is made on Treaty 8 Territory and recognizes the traditional presence of Cree, Denesuline, and Métis peoples and all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit whose footsteps have marked these lands. The parties commit to honouring the intent and spirit of Treaty 8.

Professional Forum

A joint labour-management Professional Forum meets at least monthly during the school year, chaired alternately by employer and union representatives. The forum addresses working conditions, constructive criticism, and mutual interests — but has no jurisdiction over wages or collective bargaining. The employer provides a $200 honorarium per meeting to CUPE Local 2545 in recognition of the union’s commitment to labour-management relations.

Technological Change

The employer must provide three months’ written notice to the union before introducing any new method of operation that will materially affect conditions of employment, wage rates, or workloads. Implications are discussed in the Professional Forum. Directed training required by the employer is paid at straight time and fully subsidized. Non-directed employee-initiated training may be subsidized up to 100% if related to the employer’s operations and pre-approved.

Source Document

This article is based on the collective agreement between Fort McMurray Public School Division and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 2545, covering the period September 1, 2021 to August 31, 2028. The agreement was ratified March 17, 2025 and signed July 16, 2025.