Thousands of nurses and healthcare staff in Alberta have voted in favour of strike action.The Alberta Union of Public Employees (AUPE), which represents 16,000 nurses and healthcare aides employed by Alberta Health Services (AHS), has stated 98% of their members have voted yes.The vote took place between Oct. 30 and Nov. 3.The union says 11,031 members cast a ballot, and the official results still need to be certified by the Alberta Labour Relations Board.Workers have been bargaining for a new collective agreement since March 2024, with bargaining talks breaking down in April of this year."They voted overwhelmingly in favour of strike action because they are fed up with stagnant wages and unsafe working conditions that hurt workers, patients, and Alberta's public healthcare system," AUPE president Sandra Azocar said at an Edmonton news conference on Wednesday."Our members would rather do their jobs, but they are prepared to stand up for what they deserve and to take job action if necessary.”In June, AUPE invited AHS back to the bargaining table to continue negotiations before deciding to take a strike vote this fall..Report finds young Alberta nurses leaving workforce at alarming rate .President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance Nate Horner issued a statement following the announcement saying that, "Licensed practical nurses (LPNs) deserve recognition for their skills and education, and acknowledgement that they provide direct nursing care. They do important, valuable work, and Alberta Health Services (AHS) engaged in bargaining with that in mind."Horner stated that he was "disappointed" that workers employed by AHS voted in favour of the strike authorization.“The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) and AHS have been meeting for months and despite formal mediation, have yet to come to an agreement," he stated.Horner said the union "is demanding LPNs be paid almost the same as registered nurses (RNs) and is bargaining for salary increases of 40 to 55% depending on where the worker is in the current grid."He feels that while LPNs play a critical role, "a key consideration that must be considered is the fact that they do not have the same education or extensive scope of practice as RNs and that the union is also "requesting reduced annual hours of work, which would result in the same overall pay but for less work."Horner continued: “AHS estimates AUPE’s total proposal would cost Albertans more than $2 billion.“AHS's offer provides the entire auxiliary nursing care bargaining unit with a 12% wage increase over four years—consistent with agreements reached with other public service employees, including the civil service and RNs. This is a fair, competitive deal, in line with more than 87 other negotiated settlements across the public sector.“I know of no health care workers anywhere in Canada who have received this type of salary increase. It is not based on market data, which compares the salaries of people doing the same job in different jurisdictions."Horner encouraged the union to reconsider its proposal and return to the bargaining table with a reasonable offer.Negotiations between the two sides are set to resume Thursday.The 16,000 members, who are mostly licensed practical nurses and healthcare aides, could serve strike notice as early as Nov. 17.
