A Long Time Ago…
For many years there no legislation or regulation existed that defined appropriate bargaining units in health care.
Alberta Labour Relations Board (ALRB) created 4 functional bargaining units for hospitals and nursing homes: general support, auxiliary nursing, direct nursing and paramedical.
Government of Alberta regionalized healthcare with the establishment of 17 Regional Health Authorities (RHAs) throughout the province.
Alberta is the first Province to legislate Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to practice.
- NPs became protected under the Health Professions Act (HPA). Prior to this some of the NP skill set was encompassed under the auspices of “RN extended class.”
- NPs were reclassified and excluded from the Alberta Labour Relations Code, as part of Bill 27, thereby preventing unionization. The reason for this, “… given the independent clinical decision-making type of role that nurse practitioners have that their role is much more like that of a physician than that of a nurse…” (Gary Mar, Minister of Health and Wellness, June 2, 2000 – November 25, 2004) (Hansard)
- The reclassification also removed NPs from the Regional Health Authority Collective Bargaining Regulation (RHACBR), meaning they were no longer automatically included in collective bargaining with other health professionals.
Nurse Practitioner Association of Alberta (NPAA) is created to increase public and government awareness and support of the NP role and practice.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is created as a Province-Wide Regional Health Authority.
Two AHS NPs petitioned the ALRB, claiming that their constitutional right to professional self-advocacy was being violated by the exclusion of NPs from both the Labour Code and RHACBR. The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) supported the NPs’ claim as UNA had represented extended-class RNs prior to the HPA recognition of the NP title and removal of NPs from the Labour Code.
- UNA applied to the ALRB, arguing that preventing NPs from unionizing was unconstitutional, and requested NPs should be placed in the UNA bargaining unit. The NPAA petitioned to be a participant in the proceedings.
The ALRB agreed it was unconstitutional, but rather than place them in the UNA bargaining unit, the ALRB gave the Government of Alberta a year to create a mechanism for representation for NPs.
The Ministry of Labour spent 2020 working on this issue. The NPAA aggressively lobbied for a wide-ranging independent mechanism for NP representation, which would cross employer lines.
- The Ministry tabled legislation to adapt the RHACBR to include NPs within a fifth, unique bargaining unit for NPs at regional health authorities.
- This inclusion necessitated the selection of a bargaining agent for NPs, which would only apply to “employee” NPs. In a meeting with the Labour Ministry the NPAA was advised that if they wished to represent NPs, they would need to establish a trade union to do so or choose an existing union.
- NPAA establish its own union – By NPs For NPs – to pursue self-representation. The Alberta Union of Nurse Practitioners (AUNP) was registered as a trade Union and had its Founders meeting on February 24, 2021.
The LRB amended their policy to confirm that the 5th (NP) functional unit, was also applicable at Covenant Health and at nursing homes.
- Additional work was completed to collect support for two new certification applications. These applications were made in the fall and a final report on the vote for certification for both AHS and Covenant Health was received on December 21, 2021.
Following certification, the AUNP Board of Directors began canvassing members for bargaining priorities. These priorities created the basis for an ingoing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) proposal from AUNP; bargaining commenced and proceeded until an impasse was reached in late 2022.
- The Parties agreed to proceed with Voluntary Mediation in December. Both Parties also agreed to abide by a Mediator’s recommendation on outstanding Articles which had not been agreed to in regular bargaining.
The mediated settlement was presented to AUNP’s members, who overwhelmingly ratified their first CBA on October 12th, 2023.
- The CBA was only for a single year’s duration, ending on March 31, 2024. This was the choice of the Employers’ labour relations team, who wanted to align AUNP’s CBA with those of the other major health unions.
The first Annual General Meeting of AUNP was held.
- Bargaining began for AUNP’s second CBA.
The Government of Alberta reorganizes Alberta Health Services and creates, Provincial Health Agencies (PHA) and Provincial Health Corporations (PHC): Recovery Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta, Cancer Care PNC, Organ Tissue Donation and Transplantation PHC, Emergency Health Services PHC, Health Shared Services PHC.
- Oct 14 - 17 2025 Scheduled Bargaining Dates
- Nov 17 2025 AHS & PHAs Joint Essential Services Agreements (ESA) submitted to Labour Relations Board (LRB)
- Dec 11 2025 LRB review of ESAs
LRB approval of AHS & PHA ESAs
Mediation Dates