Click the link below to view the September edition of Local 196’s e-newsletter:
Local 196 UNA e-newsletter: Sept 2025
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.
By Geri Ruston
Click HERE to listen to the newest podcast episode.
In this episode, Geri Ruston sits down with Dr. Bob Barnetson to examine the state of Occupational Health and Safety (OH&S) in Canadian workplaces, with a focus on Alberta and the realities faced by nurses.
Dr. Bob Barnetson is a Professor of Labour Relations at Athabasca University, whose academic and professional work centers on the political economy of workplace regulation in Alberta. His experience includes prior roles with the Alberta Labour Relations Board, Alberta Workers’ Compensation Board, and Alberta Employment and Immigration, giving him both policy and institutional insight into OH&S and workers’ rights.
The conversation covers:
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. Does the reimbursement apply to both the CRNA license and the CNPS insurance?
Yes. In 2025, Employees who achieve the total 684.6 hours required for reimbursement will be reimbursed the full cost of their professional fees to CRNA or CRPNA, as well as the cost of professional liability protection required by the Health Professions Act.
Starting in 2026, Employees will be able to combine hours worked at more than one Employer covered by this Collective Agreement to achieve the total 684.6 hours required for reimbursement.
2. Will the reimbursement be taxed?
If your employer reimburses you for your nursing licence or registration fees, this reimbursement is considered taxable income. You cannot claim that portion of the expense as a deduction if you’ve already been reimbursed for it. CRA generally disallows claiming a cost that’s already been covered through taxable income or employer reimbursement.
3. Will the entire amount be reimbursed in the first pay period in October?
Nothing has changed with the process this year regarding CRNA reimbursement, other than the amount. Those who meet the minimum number of hours will have the entire cost amount reimbursed on their pay cheque. This is typically the first full pay period in October, so it should be the Oct 29th pay cheque, but that has not been confirmed.
Any members wishing to attend the UNA Provincial AGM (October 28-30, 2025, Edmonton Expo Centre) as a delegate or an observer – a nomination form must be completed and emailed back to local196exec@una.ca before the September 18, 2025, deadline.
Your LOA or time off must be approved before submitting your nomination form. There have been issues in the past with individuals being nominated to attend and then not being able to get the time off after the fact. We now require that time be pre-approved.
Elections for delegates and observers will be held at the September 25, 2025, local meeting. You can register for the September meeting in DMS
Two Office Rep/Committee members and two general members will be drawn at the September 25, 2025, local meeting to attend a labour-affiliated conference up to a maximum of $5000.00.
United Nurses of Alberta and Alberta Health Services have released a joint communication with information for Employees who take temporary positions with different Employers after the new provincial health agencies or provincial health corporations have been established, but before the introduction of the separate payroll systems.
Currently applies to:
Recovery Alberta (RA)
Primary Care Alberta (PCA)
Assisted Living Alberta (ALA)
Acute Care Alberta (ACA)
Will also apply to (when established):
Cancer Care Alberta (CCA)
Give Life Alberta (GLA)
Emergency Health Services (EHS)
Until the Payroll Transfer Date from AHS to the new provincial health agency or provincial health corporation, everything will continue to be administered as though they remain a single Employer and nothing will change for Employees’ terms and conditions of employment.
At this time, a specific date has not been identified for when the payroll system will transfer from AHS to any of the new provincial health agencies or provincial health corporations.
Once new payroll systems are implemented:
Agencies become separate Employers.
Movement between Employers will be governed by the Collective Agreement (similar to the agreement between AHS and Covenant).
Assisted Living Alberta is a new provincial health agency in Alberta, officially launched on April 1, 2025, and is becoming fully operational by Fall 2025
United Nurses of Alberta has been informed that, effective September 1, 2025, close to 5,000 positions held by Registered Nurses represented by the union have been identified for transfer from Alberta Health Services to Acute Care Alberta (ACA), the three provincial health care corporations overseen by ACA, and Assisted Living Alberta (ALA). The process is expected to be the same as previous transfers (i.e. from AHS to Recovery Alberta and from AHS to Primary Care Alberta)
The government says these position transfers affecting UNA members will be broken down as follows:
Letter of Understanding:
RE: Transition of Employees Pursuant to the Health Statutes Amendment Act
The Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024, enables the government to establish provincial health agencies and transfer employees from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to these new agencies. AHS and the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) have agreed on a plan to support a smooth transition while protecting patient services.
The agreement will remain in effect until March 31, 2027, unless the parties agree otherwise in writing.
Employees whose positions are designated for transfer will receive official notification via their AHS email accounts. Formal transfer notices are expected to be sent to employees between July 21 and 24, 2025
Upon notification, employees have the following options:
Accept the Transfer: Employees who accept will transition, retain their current terms and conditions of employment, including pay, benefits, pension, seniority, and vacation entitlements.
Decline the Transfer: Employees who decline can exercise their rights under Article 15: Layoff and Recall to remain with AHS. Depending on available positions, this may involve displacement or reassignment within AHS.
Key points from the agreement:
More information can be found in the Collective Agreement Highlights in the:
May 2025 newsletter (review of the Letter of Understanding)
December 2024 newsletter (Article 14.07 and Article 15)
June 2024 newsletter (more on Article 15 – Layoff and Recall)
Click the link below to view the June edition of Local 196’s e-newsletter:
Local 196 UNA e-newsletter: June 2025
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.
Alberta has the highest rate of household food insecurity among Canadian provinces, with 30.9% of households experiencing food insecurity. This surpasses the national average, highlighting a significant public health concern.
Community health nurses play a unique and trusted role in Canada’s healthcare system, providing direct insight into how poverty and food insecurity impact individuals and families. Through their daily work in homes, clinics, and community settings, nurses regularly witness how hunger undermines health, whether it’s a child struggling in school due to poor nutrition or a senior forced to choose between medication and groceries. Because of this frontline perspective, nurses are well-positioned not only to treat the consequences of food insecurity but also to advocate for long-term, structural solutions.
Click HERE for the new spotlight on Hungry for Change: Food Insecurity in Alberta .
United Nurses of Alberta, Local 196 
You must be logged in to post a comment.