Coaldale lockout continues; town hiring temp workers

By Lethbridge Herald on September 13, 2025.

Nathan Reiter
Lethbridge Herald
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The town of Coaldale and members of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) don’t appear to be any closer to a deal that will end the lockout after its first week.

Union members have been locked out since Saturday and have been picketing in the town throughout the week.

Both sides have released several statements about the dispute. In a previous release, AUPE Vice-President Curtis Jackson criticized both the mayor and council for raises that were issued in 2022 that totaled 42.01 per cent for the mayor and 31.72 per cent for council members.

The town of Coaldale issued a statement on Thursday illustrating the mayor’s salary increased from $33,528 in 2021 to $55,573. Both figures fall below the average salary for mayors in communities such as Whitecourt, Blackfalds, Devon, Hinton, Olds, Drumheller, Innisfail and Taber. 

Compensation for councillors increased from $20,112 in 2021 to $38,034 in 2025. 

“Describing the 2022 decision as a ‘massive raise’ yet again oversimplifies and misrepresents the facts,” Town of Coaldale mayor Jack Van Rijn said in a written statement to the Herald. “Council acted on independent data, corrected a long-standing inequity, and established a transparent, policy based framework for the future. Even after the adjustment, our honoraria remain below the average of our municipal counterparts.”

Van Rijn added that there are several hours put in by himself and councillors that aren’t on the public record.

“Nobody runs for office in Coaldale to get rich—the compensation reflects part-time service for a role that now demands far more hours than ever before. If you divided that time by the honoraria we receive, you’d realize we’re making less than minimum wage. We do this because we love our community, not for the money. By contrast, AUPE executives draw six-figure salaries from union dues and avoid speaking in real numbers because if they did, it would be obvious they are attacking people who make very little for the many hidden hours of service they put in.” 

The Town of Coaldale website currently has 25 full-time positions that were posted on Sept. 4 after the lockout. All jobs are listed as temporary positions with an expected term of two years.

In an interview with the Herald, Jackson said the positions that are open are positions of AUPE members.

“We don’t take kindly to it because it shows a complete breakdown and an unwillingness on the employer’s side to have the conversations that can get both parties closer to a deal and get workers back on the job. Scab labor is never appreciated. It further complicates the process and increases the divide between the workers and the employer.”

The Herald reached out to the town of Coaldale for comment about the job postings, but did not receive a response as of press time on Friday.