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 .
Registration will be used to confirm the number of in-person attendees at the Fantasyland hotel. If you plan to attend IN PERSON, click HERE
To register to attend by ZOOM, click HERE
There will be an election for a 1 PRC COMMITTEE Member
Click the link below to view the May edition of Local 196’s e-newsletter:
Local 196 UNA e-newsletter: May 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.
This year’s gift for Local 196 members is a CoffeePass. Office reps will pick up the gifts from the Local 196 office this week to distribute to their team members.
What is CoffeePass?
CoffeePass is Edmonton’s local café passport—a curated experience designed to promote and support the city’s vibrant coffee community. The 2025 Edition of CoffeePass gives passholders 40 coffees—one at each of our 40 participating independent cafés—allowing you to explore the best local spots, each offering unique charm, friendly atmosphere, and excellent coffee.
What Do I Get With a CoffeePass?
With your CoffeePass, you’ll receive one (1) drip or brewed coffee at each participating café. While exact menu options vary, most cafés also offer espresso-based drinks (like lattes or cappuccinos), which you can upgrade to by paying the difference or a set cost. This helps cafés cover costs while still offering you a great experience.
Don’t forget to check the CoffeePass café partner list or ask your barista for specific drink offerings.
For the list of cafes – https://www.coffeepass.ca/cafes
How Does It Work?
– Bring it with you to any of the 40 café partners.
– Show your pass at the counter.
– Pick your drink from the CoffeePass menu.
– The barista will mark off the café logo on your pass.
– Enjoy your coffee, tip your barista, and maybe grab a treat to further support the café!
Can I redeem more than one coffee at the same café?
No—each café is a one-time redemption to encourage exploration.
What if I don’t drink coffee?
Most partners offer tea or alternative beverages for CoffeePass holders.
❤️ Happy Nurses Week 2025 to the community nurses of Local 196! ❤️
You’re not just caregivers—you’re lifelines. From home visits to health advocacy, from crisis response to quiet support—you walk into people’s lives with skill, compassion, and heart. You make it better, not in hospital halls, but in living rooms, shelters, schools, and streets.
Community doesn’t happen without care—and you are that care. You meet people where they are and fight for what they need. That’s nursing. That’s leadership. That’s Local 196.
To every community nurse: your work ripples far beyond what most ever see. Thank you for showing up, standing strong, and making it better every single day. 💪❤️
By Rachel Steel, Geri Ruston and Gerri Logan
Click HERE to listen to the newest podcast episode.
Rachel, Gerri, and Geri take listeners on an unforgettable journey through the life and legacy of Mary “Mother” Jones — the labour organizer once dubbed “the most dangerous woman in America.” From famine-stricken Ireland to the sweatshops and coalfields of the United States, the podcast traces how grief and injustice forged her into a tireless champion for worker safety and dignity.
But this isn’t just a history lesson. It’s a call to action. The episode draws parallels between the brutal conditions Jones fought against and the occupational hazards faced by Alberta nurses today, from violence and burnout to unsafe staffing ratios and systemic neglect.
The legacy of Mary Jones reminds us that the struggle for safe and just workplaces is far from over, and that every nurse who dares to speak out is walking in the footsteps of giants.
This episode was inspired by the OH&S article in the Spring 2025 UNA Bulletin, which highlighted Mary “Mother” Jones—many thanks to UNA OH&S Advisor Dewey Funk for bringing this figure to our attention.
Nearly half of Alberta’s young nurses are leaving the profession within just five years—and it’s not hard to see why. Between long hours, overwhelming stress, and feeling undervalued, many burn out before they find their footing.
Why? With healthcare systems already stretched thin, this trend signals a more profound crisis. While Alberta’s new 2025 agreement introduces higher wages and rural incentives, experts say targeted support—like mentorship, mental health resources, and flexible scheduling—is critical to keeping the next generation of nurses on the front lines.
Click HERE for the new spotlight on Why Young Nurses are leaving Alberta’s Healthcare System.
United Nurses of Alberta, Local 196 
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