Alberta’s government says a strike by auxiliary nursing care workers has been avoided after Alberta Health Services and the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees reached a tentative deal that will soon go to members for a vote.Treasury Board president and Finance Minister Nate Horner said negotiators worked “extremely hard” in recent days to land the agreement, which will be recommended to AUPE members. He said the deal offers strong wage increases for licensed practical nurses and health care aides to keep Alberta’s compensation competitive with the rest of Canada.Horner said the province respects the work done by LPNs and HCAs and argued the tentative settlement reflects their contribution to the health-care system. He added that member ratification remains a key step before the agreement is finalized.The government said its focus continues to be maintaining a stable, modern and stronger health-care system, and thanked both AHS and AUPE for what it called a collaborative effort to reach common ground.
