The interim Treasurer has been working diligently to process all the claims. She has gotten through quite a few of them recently, so please ensure to check your UNA email. There has been a huge influx with the end of the year coming up, so we appreciate your patience as she continues to work through them!
Please ensure you are submitting to the EITF portal in DMS, rather than as an Expense.
If your EITF claim was rejected and more information is requested, please go into the original claim, attach the requested information and ensure to resubmit it – otherwise, it will remain “unsubmitted” and will not be processed.
For ease of processing, attach the applicable receipts, proof of attendance (if applicable) and the application form found on the local website: https://local196una.ca/education-funding/
Due to the high influx of claims and ensuring they all get processed before the end of the year, the deadline for submissions is December 15th
Privatization is becoming more evident in Alberta’s public systems, especially in education and health care. In schools, increased funding for private and charter programs has raised concerns about creating a two-tier system that diverts resources from public classrooms and deepens inequities. Educators warn that this shift reframes education as a product rather than a universal right.
Health care is seeing similar changes, with services like labs, surgeries, and community programs being moved to private operators. These changes can fragment care, strain staffing, and increase overall system costs—despite being promoted as “efficient.” For community nurses, the connection is clear: strong, fully public systems are essential for equitable, high-quality care.
Click HEREfor the new spotlight on Public Systems Under Pressure: Privatization in Education and Health Care
UNA commends our AUPE co-workers for demonstrating such strong solidarity in their fight for fairness and respect.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees announced this morning that they had reached a tentative agreement for their Auxiliary Nursing Care members employed by Alberta Health Services, Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta and Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre. This means that Licensed Practical Nurses, Health Care Aides and other health care workers represented by AUPE are not going on strike today.
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees has served a 72-hour strike notice for its 16,000-member bargaining unit, which includes Licensed Practical Nurses, Health Care Aides, and other workers employed by Alberta Health Services, Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, and the Allen Gray Continuing Care Centre. The strike is scheduled to begin at8:30 a.m. on Saturday, November 22. Watch for updates from the Provincial office on how best to support our colleagues
In forums, under “Discussions”, there is a news section called“Strike Support – Supporting Colleagues”. You are encouraged to post your questions in that section. Questions will be monitored and answered by Labour Relations staff.
Alberta labour law states that employees cannot be disciplined for refusing to perform the duties of employees who are legally on strike. However, the distinction between direct nursing care provided by Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses represented by UNA and that provided by LPNs and HCAs represented by AUPE will, in many cases, not be clear.
Moreover, when the AUPE strike commences, UNA members will be required to report to work for their regular shifts. Some LPNs will also be required to be at work under AUPE’s Essential Service Agreements (ESAs) with employers.
Under the law, capable and qualified non-union management employees are expected to do the work of striking employees, and AUPE is required to send in striking members under the workplace ESA if there are not enough exempt employees to meet the minimum threshold.
UNA therefore recommends that its members keep in mind the following points:
Wear your RN or RPN pin on the job to make it clear why you are at work.
Pay close attention to work that would normally be done by LPNs and HCAs.
Where there is confusion as to what LPN or HCA work is and what RN/RPN work is, seek clarity as soon as possible from your out-of-scope manager.
Note how many LPNs are on each shift and, if there are insufficient numbers, inform your manager that you cannot do the work of a missing LPN.
In the event you are ordered to do LPN or HCA work, obey and grieve later if your refusal is met with the threat of discipline.
Immediately inform your Local or UNA Labour Relations Officer if you feel you are being asked to do the work of striking employees, if more RNs/RPNs are suddenly being scheduled to work, or if you are reassigned to a different work area.
Remember, in addition to minimum levels of staffing for LPNs and HCAs, AUPE’s legally required Essential Service Agreements with employers mean AUPE is responsible for sending in striking employees if there are not enough exempt employees to meet the minimum threshold.
AUPE’s ESA states clearly: “During a strike or lockout at a site, the Employer shall not … assign work that would normally be performed by an employee in the bargaining unit that is on strike or lockout to employees in other bargaining units.”
UNA strongly encourages members during breaks and time off to join their co-workers on their picket lines as they exercise their constitutional right to take strike action, and to express their support in conversations with elected officials.
Blank picket signs, pins saying “UNA supports our co-workers,” and additional RN and RPN badges are available from the Provincial Office in Edmonton.
The Local newsletter was sent via MailChimp with updated member contact information from the Provincial UNA Office. It was sent to personal email addresses only. Please update your contact information in UNA’s DMS system if you have not received our newsletter.
***Note the venue change to Chateau Louis Conference Centre***
If you are interested in running for any of the above positions, please review the attached “Roles & Responsibilities” document for the intended position.
You must FULLY complete (including names, addresses, membership numbers and signatures) a nomination formbefore the deadline of DECEMBER 3, 2025, to local196exec@una.ca
Janice Pyne is a seasoned Nurse Practitioner currently practising in Edmonton, Alberta. Her work centres on innovative, nurse-led models of care in substance use and addiction, including opioid agonist treatment (OAT).
With a Master of Nursing (MN) credential, Janice has contributed to guidance documents on managing substance use in acute care settings and has been part of knowledge-translation working groups aimed at expanding access to nurse-led addiction care in Canada. She is recognized for her expertise in collaborating across disciplines to support complex populations, particularly those in inner-city and high-risk settings.
For this presentation, Janice brings a unique combination of clinical leadership, evidence-informed practice, and a harm-reduction orientation — making her especially well-suited to speak on advanced treatment pathways such as the Narcotic Transition Services (NTS) program within ODEAC.
If you have registered and can no longer attend, please cancel your registration in DMS or email Local196Education@una.cabefore the registration deadline.
• Six Office Reps/Committee Members will be drawn to attend up to 3 days of a Provincial Board meeting of their choice over the next year. Draw to be done at the Local AGM. • To be eligible, Office Reps/Committee Members/general members must have attended at least 2 Local meetings in the previous 12 months. • Funding to include salary (LOA or expense claim), lunch, mileage and parking.
• Six general members will be drawn to attend the North Central District (NCD) meeting of their choice over the next year. Draw to be done at the Local AGM. • To be eligible, Office Reps/Committee Members/general members must have attended at least 2 Local meetings in the previous 12 months. • Funding to include salary (LOA or expense claim), lunch, and mileage.
Click HERE to listen to the newest podcast episode.
In this episode, Gerri Logan sits down with Janet Eremenko, Alberta’s NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addiction, to unpack the politics and human impact behind Alberta’s growing opioid crisis.
Janet Eremenko is a Canadian politician and member of the Alberta New Democratic Party. She serves as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Calgary-Currie. A lifelong Calgarian, Janet holds a degree in International Development and has more than a decade of experience in social policy and community development.
United Nurses of Alberta, Local 196 
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