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UNA responds to transfer of nurses from AHS to Primary Care Alberta

United Nurses of Alberta has been informed that nurses represented by the union working in Health Link 811, Primary Care Networks, Provincial Midwifery Services, select primary care clinics, Facilitated Access to Surgical Treatment (FAST) program, Virtual Care, Access and Navigation (V-CAN) and the Primary Health Care provincial program will be transferred from Alberta Health Services (AHS) to the new Primary Care Alberta (PCA) agency. The government has announced that the staff transfer from AHS to PCA is effective February 1, 2025.

While UNA remains deeply concerned about the chaos caused by this restructuring on nurses and their ability to deliver the best patient care possible within the public health care system, a Letter of Understanding signed by United Nurses of Alberta and AHS on May 31, 2024, retains and expands the rights of Employees affected by the creation of new Provincial Health Agencies.

Under the LOU, Employees can transfer to the new Employer or remain employed with AHS, with full rights to displace or fill a vacant position under Article 15 of the Provincial Collective Agreement. Indirectly affected Employees displaced by affected Employees will have, in addition to full Article 15 rights, the right to select a vacant position at PCA. All affected Employees transferred from AHS to PCA will initially be treated as a part of a single bargaining unit to administer the current Provincial Collective Agreement. This will last until the payroll transfer date. UNA does not yet know when this payroll transfer date will take place.

A tiered system for hiring and downsizing will also take effect, meaning that PCA Employees will no longer be treated as internal candidates when applying for vacant positions within AHS. Still, they will be considered ahead of other external applicants not employed by a Provincial Health Agency. In the event of downsizing, PCA employees can displace other positions within PCA or apply for vacant positions within AHS. A PCA Employee can be recalled to AHS if laid off. The LOU also applies to casual Employees who pick up additional shifts and includes provisions for Employees on Leaves of Absence, Workers’ Compensation, and Disability.

UNA is preparing a Frequently Asked Questions document for members impacted by this change, which will be posted soon. This page will be updated, and the union will share more information at www.una.ca as we receive it.

Documents for impacted members:
Explaining the transition from AHS to Primary Care Alberta (FAQ)
Letter of Understanding re: Transition of Employees pursuant to Health Statutes Amendment Act, 2024: For more information about this LOU, read UNA’s statement from May 31, 2024.
UNA Layoff & Recall FAQ
Employer/UNA Joint Layoff & Recall Statements

I know we have lots of creative and talented members in our local! If you have any ideas, or would like to participate in creating a project, contact me at rscheffelmiar@una.ca. I would love to submit entries that highlight the diversity of nursing experiences in our local! See below for more information of this year’s engagement challenge.

To recognize the work of UNA Locals during Nurses Week, which is May 7-12 this year, UNA is inviting locals to submit examples of member engagement efforts created and used during that week.

The theme of this year’s challenge is safe staffing and sticking together. Locals are encouraged to enter submissions that follow that theme.

Entries will be accepted from or on behalf of locals in five categories divided by local membership size:

1: Best poster
2: Best photo
3: Best online meme
4: Best online video
5: Most creative engagement idea

Locals may submit multiple submissions in each category.

Winners and individual members will be presented with a special award certificate and have their submissions shown at the UNA Annual General Meeting in October 2024.

Locals are encouraged to recognize the members who participated in the creation of their submissions.

Submissions must be sent to nursesweek@una.ca by 23:59 on Friday, May 17. The winners will be announced after that.