Members voted overwhelmingly for action after talks collapsed
Thousands of Alberta hospital workers are preparing to walk off the job Saturday morning after the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) served strike notice to Alberta Health Services (AHS) on Wednesday.
The union, representing approximately 16,000 hospital workers, including licensed practical nurses and health-care aides, announced that picketing will begin at 8:30 am on Nov. 22 at major hospitals throughout the province.
“Mediation was not successful. We did not reach a tentative agreement nor receive recommendations from our mediator,” the AUPE stated in its announcement.
AUPE president Sandra Azocar told reporters Wednesday that the decision to strike was not made lightly.
“These decisions are never easy,” Azocar said at a news conference in Edmonton, as reported by Global News. “But we reached a point where we had no choice … today, we’re standing up not just for (workers), but for the future of our health care in this province.”
Contract negotiations have been ongoing since March 2024, with talks breaking down in April 2025. Union members voted 98% in favour of strike action earlier this month, with 11,030 of 15,650 eligible members participating, CTV News Edmonton reported.
The union has identified a wage gap of approximately 9% between the government’s latest offer and worker demands. The province last offered a 12% wage increase over four years.
AUPE said licensed practical nurses in Alberta perform 84% of what registered nurses do but receive only 60% of the compensation.
Finance minister Nate Horner expressed disappointment with the strike notice, Global News reported.
“AUPE was offered a fair and reasonable deal that was highly competitive with other provinces across Canada,” Horner said in a statement Wednesday.
Approximately 78% of union members are classified as essential workers, meaning 80% of licensed practical nurses and health-care aides will continue working during the strike to maintain essential services, while 20% are legally permitted to withdraw services from non-essential areas.
On Thursday, AHS invited the union back to the table for mediation, with meetings scheduled for Thursday and Friday.
“There are no guarantees here. We would love to reach an agreement at the table, but we will also not accept an offer that does not meet your needs,” the union stated on its website.
