OLDS - The province’s registered nurses, including those working in rural hospitals in this district, are feeling ‘disrespected’ by the provincial government and “angry” with a lack of progress in negotiations, says United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) president Heather Smith.
On Oct. 31, more than 60 per cent of the UNA’s 30,000 members voted to reject a mediator’s recommendation for a new provincial collective agreement.
“We have a lot of anger because working conditions have continued to deteriorate,” Smith told the Albertan. “The short issue is that we don’t have capacity and that is creating incredible stress across the continuum, including in our acute care and emergencies.
“I think that members don’t feel that government has listened to their appeals for supportive and safe practice environments, safe in term of patient care and quality of patient care.
“There has been anger across our membership since the last round of bargaining during COVID and how members felt disrespected in that round and it has definitely flowed through in this round.”
Asked if nurses in district rural hospitals have the same concerns as those in larger urban centres, Smith said yes.
“If the Red Deer Regional (hospital) is over-capacity and full, it pushes out to rural sites as well. Our rural facilities have struggled with staffing, and monitory compensation is certainly a big part of that. Alberta has fallen behind significantly.”
The Red Deer Regional Hospital is the destination hospital for many patients in the district.
So could a nurses’ strike be on the horizon in Alberta? Smith said yes.
“If there is not improvement at the table in terms of direct negotiations or with the assistance of mediator, should we sign off all the essential service agreements, then yes we are on the track to a strike vote,” she said.
“In terms of a time line it’s probably unlikely that we would be looking at job action before the new year – I wouldn’t rule it out – but that’s sort of the trajectory we are on now.”
Following the UNA’s rejection of the mediator’s recommendations last week, finance minister Nate Horner reportedly said, “We’re disappointed, but we’ll take some time to reflect. We’ll see what they come back with.”
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hill UCP MLA Nathan Cooper did not immediately respond to an Albertan request for comment.
