‘Gulf is just too big’: Strike vote looms for Alberta nurses as contract talks falter

EDMONTON — Alberta’s nurses could soon find themselves on the picket line as recent talks with the province foundered over disagreements around pay and staffing.

David Harrigan, the United Nurses of Alberta director of labour relations, says informal mediation meetings last month were productive but the gap between the two sides seems too big to bridge.

“Unfortunately, I think the gulf is just too big,” Harrigan said in an interview earlier this week.

The union, which represents more than 30,000 nurses, is seeking 30 per cent pay raises spread over two years while the Alberta government’s standing offer is 7.5 per cent over four years.

Harrigan said the two sides also find themselves far apart on operational issues, specifically staffing shortages and how to manage the resulting workplace conditions.

“I think both (sides) recognize there are some real, serious, serious problems,” he said.

“It’s just that we have completely different views on how to solve those problems.”

Harrigan said the province wants to remove an existing contract clause that requires Alberta Health Services to try and fill job vacancies from within the bargaining unit before hiring outside candidates.

“They want to say that article does not apply for one year and (Alberta Health Services) gets to hire whoever they want,” Harrigan said.

“We think the way to do things is improve the job conditions and then you’ll be able to recruit people.”

Bumping pay for nurses is a significant part of improving job conditions, Harrigan said, especially since wages have not kept pace with inflation.

“They’re having a huge recruitment problem,” he said. “Why on earth would they think that offering people less rights and (salary) increases that are less than the cost of living would be the way to address that?”

Since 2013, Alberta’s nurses have received a combined wage increase of 11.5 per cent and five years of wage freezes.

More than half of that pay increase was obtained before 2018.

Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said Thursday she couldn’t speak to the issues Harrigan highlighted, as negotiations are ongoing.

“We have to bargain in good faith,” she told reporters. “I know that typically each side starts with a position and they land somewhere that is agreeable to all sides.”

The union has scheduled a meeting for next week during which delegates from each affected local are to be asked for direction on next steps. Harrigan said that could mean reconsidering the government’s standing offer, proceeding with formal mediation or potentially a strike vote.

Before a strike vote, the union and the province would need to go through formal mediation. But Harrigan said he thinks that process would be short-lived, considering a “really intense” informal mediation process proved unsuccessful.

If a strike does occur, Albertans would still have access to emergency medical care, because of an essential services agreement signed by the two parties.

The agreement ensures some nurses remain on the job throughout a strike in order to ensure the safety of patients.

It also requires both parties to maintain open communication channels in the event of an emergency, so additional nursing staff can be called in.

Nurses aren’t the only workers currently bargaining with the province.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees and some 82,000 public servants and hospital support staff it represents are looking for a new contract.

That union is seeking raises of 26 per cent over three years and the Alberta government has countered with 7.5 per cent over four years.

LaGrange said Thursday the government is negotiating with every health-care union in the province.

She said in the event of widespread strikes, the government would have mitigation plans in place.

“But I really believe that the parties are at the table in good faith, bargaining in good faith, and I believe everybody wants to come to a good decision on it.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 3, 2024.

Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press