Nursing care in the news
LPNs and HCAs working for AHS just held four successful bargaining town halls. Next up? A media campaign to show the public why we matter!
Jun 30, 2025
By Maureen Mariampillai, Communications Staff
There is power in a union, including every union conversation.
We saw that strength in action this June when thousands of AUPE members working for Alberta Health Services joined the Nursing Care Bargaining Telephone Town Halls.
“I had the pleasure of joining members as one of the moderators in this round of telephone town halls, and I just want to thank everyone who listened in and asked questions.”
Unlike a traditional town hall meeting, where everyone walks into a single room to meet, a telephone town hall allows your negotiating team to talk to members at home—or at work during their breaks—to have important conversations about bargaining.
“I had the pleasure of joining members as one of the moderators in this round of telephone town halls, and I just want to thank everyone who listened in and asked questions,” says AUPE Vice-President Bonnie Gostola. “We must improve our working conditions precisely because we care so much about our coworkers and the Albertans we care for.”
Members asked hundreds of questions over the course of two days and four town halls. Their questions got right to the point of what AUPE members endure at work, how it impacts them and their families, and why we must work together to change things at the bargaining table.
Examples of their questions include:
Emily: “When can we expect to hear back from the employer? And if the answer is no, are we planning to strike or does that require a vote first?"
Kathy: “In the hospital I work at there is one HCA for 24 to 26 patients. Will there be more staff hired to address workloads?”
Kasey: “What is AHS’s reasoning for staying at their original offer, even after all the evidence presented to them? Why are they refusing to pay us for our increase in scope?”
Arzu: “Why are healthcare raises so slow? We are losing Health Care Aides faster than we can hire them. We need more supports such as daycare pay, health benefits, gas, etc.”
Uncertainty, burnout, disrespect, struggling to make ends meet.
As skilled and dedicated professionals who keep Alberta’s health care system moving—this is unacceptable treatment by AHS. AUPE members and all health care workers deserve better.
Your negotiating teams are hard at work, fighting to secure a deal that addresses the concerns. But they can’t do it without your solidarity and support.
Negotiations can and should continue while we move ahead on ESA talks. We invited AHS back to the table, who said they would consider it if we revised our proposal again.
We weren’t thrilled with that response, but this round of bargaining was anticipated to be difficult, and it requires us to do things differently than we’ve done in the past.
"At the end of the day, the goal is to reach a collective agreement. So, we will continue to hold up our end with productive discussions, bargain in good faith and negotiate the best deal possible for the membership."
Our revised package is now with AHS, and we are now waiting to hear whether they will agree to return to negotiations.
If they do, great. If they don’t, your negotiating team will meet to discuss our next course of action.
"At the end of the day, the goal is to reach a collective agreement. So, we will continue to hold up our end with productive discussions, bargain in good faith and negotiate the best deal possible for the membership," says Gostola.
“We must improve our working conditions precisely because we care so much about our coworkers and the Albertans we care for.”
If you weren’t able to join the town hall meetings, there are two easy steps you can take to get involved. First, create a MyAUPE account to get important information about bargaining and participate in strike and ratification votes, get strike pay and much more!
You can also visit aupe.org for questions regarding strikes, training opportunities, organizing events and bargaining updates or contact a member of your negotiating team!
Sneak Preview: The Hearts, Hands, Minds and Backbone of Health Care in Alberta
AUPE is launching a public awareness campaign later this summer. The advertising campaign will be all about you! In consultation with your negotiating team, the campaign goal is to highlight the importance of Licensed Practical Nurses and Health Care Aides across the province.
The campaign will help educate Albertans about your vital role in the health care sector. It also will highlight the challenges you face, such as short staffing and low wages, and how those challenges impact patient outcomes.
Stay tuned for more details leading up to the campaign launch!
