Contract talks at Legacy Lodge stall over wages
More than 120 long-term care workers at Legacy Lodge in North Lethbridge remain without a renewed collective agreement, as bargaining with the facility’s operator continues and a recent employer proposal includes wage freezes in the early years of a four-year deal, according to an update from the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE).
Legacy Lodge is a 104‑unit continuing care site owned by Choices in Community Living Inc., an Edmonton-based operator that also runs WestPark Lodge in Red Deer. AUPE represents staff across a range of roles at the Lethbridge facility, including licensed practical nurses, health care aides, food service and kitchen workers, administrative assistants and housekeepers.
The union says the previous agreement expired in March 2024, leaving members without a new contract for more than two years as of this month. AUPE’s update describes slow progress at the table and says the employer sought formal mediation roughly six months after the last deal lapsed, shortly after the union’s bargaining team introduced monetary proposals that included wage increases.
According to the union, the employer’s latest four‑year offer included “wage freezes in the first two years” of the contract and a lump‑sum payment in 2025, which would not raise base rates.
AUPE argues that lump‑sum payments do not build into salaries and therefore do not affect future percentage increases. The union contends that offering increases only after ratification can incentivize lengthy bargaining because it limits the period to which raises apply. Choices in Community Living has not issued a public statement on the talks in the union’s update, and InfoRadar could not find additional details from the employer in the materials reviewed.
Staffing pressures and a new job classification
The employer has cited difficulty recruiting health care aides, AUPE says. As part of its response, the company introduced a “comfort care aide” position. According to the union, those workers are paid less than health care aides while performing a majority of similar duties. AUPE’s update states the role covers 87% of the duties of a health care aide.
Support workers at Legacy Lodge include positions that affect day‑to‑day care and operations. Any prolonged impasse over wages and classifications could influence staffing stability and retention, especially in roles that directly support residents’ daily needs. AUPE’s concerns centre on maintaining competitive pay and clear scopes of practice as the operator works to fill vacancies.
What’s on the table, at a glance
- Contract status: Previous agreement expired in March 2024; no new deal ratified.
- Union position: Seeking wage increases; objects to lump‑sum payments that do not lift base rates.
- Employer proposal (per AUPE): Four‑year term with two years of wage freezes and a 2025 lump‑sum payout.
- Staffing note (per AUPE): Creation of lower‑paid “comfort care aide” role amid recruitment challenges.
| Timeline | Event |
|---|---|
| March 2024 | Previous collective agreement expires |
| ~September 2024 | Employer seeks formal mediation, per AUPE |
| June 2026 | Bargaining meeting; employer tables four‑year offer with early wage freezes, per AUPE |
Local context
Lethbridge’s continuing care sector relies on a mix of clinical and support staff to manage resident care, meals, housekeeping and administration. Pay structures and job classifications can affect recruitment, particularly for health care aides, who are essential to daily resident support. AUPE’s update suggests compensation remains the key sticking point at Legacy Lodge, alongside how duties are defined in relation to the new comfort care aide role.
Neither party has indicated next bargaining dates in the material reviewed. The outcome will shape compensation and staffing at a major North Lethbridge care facility and could inform similar talks elsewhere in the sector, including at sites operated by the same company.
