Lloydminster’s firefighters have a contract.
Lloydminster City council voted Monday to ratify a collective agreement with the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 5182 covering the period from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2024 – ending a labour dispute that outlasted the agreement itself.
The previous contract expired Dec. 31, 2021. Bargaining began in November of that year, but nine rounds of talks failed to produce a deal. Two days of mediation in September 2023 also collapsed without resolution. Five more bargaining sessions followed, and those too went nowhere.
The city ultimately moved to interest arbitration. Hearings took place in December 2025, and an arbitrator issued a decision June 8.
The ratified agreement includes annual wage increases of 3 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2022, 3 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2023, and 3.15 per cent effective Jan. 1, 2024. The Captain index – a pay differential for the rank – increases from 120 per cent to 121 per cent, effective June 8. The employer RRSP contribution also rises by one per cent, effective the same date.
The agreement adds the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation as a recognized day, effective 2026.
The retroactive wage settlement carries a price tag. According to a report presented by Chief of Staff Marie Pretty, the city expects to pay approximately $530,000 in retroactive compensation to city firefighters covering the 2022 to 2024 period. Administration will bring a budget adjustment to council in the coming weeks.
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