Employment standards · Labour relations
Alberta strike vote and timeline calculator.
In Alberta a strike or lockout follows a fixed sequence: mediator, a 14-day cooling-off, a supervised vote, then 72 hours’ personally served notice, all inside a 120-day window. Enter your dates and see each deadline.
Under the Alberta Labour Relations Code, a 14-day cooling-off runs from the latest mediator step (s.65(7)); a supervised vote cannot be held until a mediator is appointed and that period has expired (s.75(3)); the vote is void if no strike or lockout occurs within 120 days (s.77(1)); and the notice must be personally served at least 72 hours ahead (s.78).
Your dates
Your timeline
Enter at least one mediator date and press Calculate.
What this does and does not cover
This calculator only adds days and hours to the dates you enter. It does not tell you a strike or lockout is lawful. Other requirements apply, including that a vote is decided by a majority of those who actually vote (s.76(3)) and that the mediator must be notified forthwith after the notice is served (s.78(1)(b)). Confirm the sequence with the Alberta Labour Relations Board or a labour lawyer.
The Alberta sequence
Cooling-off, s.65(7). There is a 14-day cooling-off period from the latest of: the date the mediator notifies the parties that no recommendation will be made; the date fixed for accepting or rejecting the mediator’s recommendations; and, if a vote on them is requested under s.66, the date the parties are notified of the result.
Supervised vote, s.75(3). No strike or lockout vote is conducted under supervision until a mediator has been appointed (under s.65, or s.92.2(6)(c) for enhanced mediation) and the s.65(7) cooling-off has expired. Under s.76(3) the result is decided on a majority of those who actually vote.
Vote expiry, s.77. If no strike or lockout occurs within 120 days after the day of the vote, the vote is void and a new one is needed. No vote may be taken after 2 years from the end of the cooling-off period.
Notice, s.78. A bargaining agent may not strike unless it personally serves written notice on the employer (or employers’ organization) giving at least 72 hours’ notice of the date, time and initial location, and then notifies the mediator. The same applies to an employer locking out, with notice served on the bargaining agent.
Source, read 29 September 2026: Labour Relations Code, RSA 2000 c L-1 (King’s Printer, current to 18 December 2025). Later amendments are not reflected.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the cooling-off period in Alberta?
14 days under s.65(7), counted from the latest of the mediator’s no-recommendation notice, the date fixed for accepting the recommendations, or the result of a vote on them.
How long is a strike vote good for?
120 days. If no strike or lockout occurs within 120 days after the day of the vote, the vote is void under s.77(1).
How much notice must be given before a strike?
At least 72 hours, in a written notice personally served on the employer, stating the date, time and initial location (s.78(1)). Hours are counted as elapsed time, so weekends and holidays are included.
Not legal advice
This is general date arithmetic, not legal advice, and it cannot confirm a strike or lockout is lawful. This runs entirely in your browser: nothing you enter is transmitted, stored, or logged.