Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaks at the Rural Municipalities of Alberta conference in Edmonton on Nov. 15, 2019. Alberta's nurses union says it feels betrayed after the province announced it is looking to end 500 fulltime nursing positions over the next three years.JASON FRANSON/The Canadian Press
Alberta’s nurses union says the province’s intention to eliminate 500 full-time nursing positions over the next three years has left them feeling betrayed.
David Harrigan, a labour negotiator with the United Nurses of Alberta, says that means at least 750 nurses will be out of work once job-sharing is factored in.
Mr. Harrigan notes Premier Jason Kenney ran on a platform of reducing spending but keeping front-line services intact.
Mr. Harrigan says fewer nurses will translate into longer waits for care, increased privatization and upfront costs to patients.
The government’s intent was communicated in a letter and in a meeting today between the nurses and their employer, Alberta Health Services.
The two sides are heading into collective bargaining next year, and the health agency says in the letter that it wanted to give nurses a heads up on finances and staffing.
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