Alberta nurses have won an important milestone collective agreement that should act as a turning point for their profession. And the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA), whose members recently ratified a new negotiated contract with 99 percent approval from its 28,000 members. This contract ensures more respect, retention and recruitment in our nursing workforce. This agreement cements Alberta nurses as the highest-paid across Canada, awarding them with significant pay increases along with enhanced job security.
The hard-won collective agreement was ratified after a vote from 124 local nursing locals impacted—a show of solidarity and powerful unity from the largely nurses’ community. These negotiations were centered on some truly critical issues that nurses continue to be impacted by greatly. This points to the critical moment for change within the healthcare landscape.
Key Features of the Agreement
The newly ratified agreement stipulates an annual 5 percent pay raise annually for the next four years, retroactive to this year. Members will receive a retroactive wage increase of up to 15 percent. Beginning one year after the date of enactment, they too will get regular, yearly, three percent increases per year. The contract reflects a new year-by-year pay scale. It protects nurses with a four percent step increase, so that nurses can financially reap the rewards as their careers mature.
Large dollar amounts for on-call pay, charge pay, and other premiums have been added. The contract ensures full reimbursement for professional registration and liability costs. This helps eliminate many of the financial hardships that nurses face on a regular basis.
“This round of negotiations was about respect, retention and recruitment,” – UNA president Heather Smith
The new contract provides retroactive pay increases going back to April 1, 2024. This retroactive measure ensures nurses receive the proper compensation they deserve. More importantly, it recognizes the extraordinary commitment and diligence they’ve demonstrated especially amid the enormous strain facing today’s healthcare system.
Commitment to Safe Staffing and Mental Health
The new collective agreement includes additional measures to mandate safe staffing levels in all hospitals and long-term care facilities in Alberta. This is important because it addresses the issue of nursing home understaffing. It further emphasizes our focus on patient safety, certainly the most prevalent theme to lead our discussions in recent times. We’re pleased that the provincial government is moving to protect nurses including through presumptive coverage for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological injuries. Perhaps most importantly, they understand the serious mental health struggles that nurses are often faced with.
Job security during continuing healthcare realignment is perhaps the most important element in this agreement. Knowing that nursing jobs will continue even as the healthcare environment evolves gives the workforce a greater sense of security and adds stability to our workforce.
“We all have tremendous respect for nurses and know that our health-care system could not thrive without them,” – Finance Minister Nate Horner
Next Steps for Alberta Health Services
According to AHS, Alberta Health Services is anticipating significant transitions the five new regional health agencies. This group settlement will continue to apply to nurses moved through this process. This new provision bolsters protections for nursing personnel as the industry undergoes changes. More importantly, it protects their ability — and future opportunity — to play a critical role in Alberta’s public healthcare system.
UNA president Heather Smith also emphasized what the negotiation results meant. She said, “When UNA members voted down ratifying a settlement proposed by a mediator last October, their message was unmistakable. We heard them, and that brought us to yesterday’s ratified agreement.” This sentiment is characteristic of the spirit and resolve behind Alberta’s wave of nursing activism.
