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EDMONTON, AB – A strike by Alberta‘s nursing-care workers was averted Saturday morning after a tentative agreement was reached between the Alberta Union of Provincial employees (AUPE) and Alberta Health Services (AHS).
The agreement, reached “mere minutes before our strike was scheduled to begin,” according to a statement from AUPE, ends a brief labour dispute that saw members begin picketing after initial negotiations failed to produce a deal by an 8:30 a.m. deadline.
The dispute centred on wages for the approximately 16,000 affected workers, which include Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Health Care Aides (HCAs). AUPE had issued strike notice on Wednesday after bargaining stalled.
Premier Danielle Smith expressed optimism about the agreement on her bi-weekly radio show Saturday morning. “There were a lot of peopel up very late last night trying to bridge that final gap. We really weren’t that far apart and it was just frustrating,” she said.
Alberta’s Minister of Finance Nate Horner also welcomed the news, stating, “We respect the work of Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) and Health Care Aides (HCAs), and they deserve a fair agreement. The settlement reflects strong wage offers for lpns and HCAs to ensure Alberta’s pay remains competitive across Canada.”
AUPE members will have the chance to vote on the tentative agreement. The union is scheduled to hold a media availability at 11 a.m.at its main office in west Edmonton to provide further details.
More to come…
