United Nurses of Alberta
Encyclopedia
The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) is a trade union
representing almost 25,000 Registered Nurses
, Registered psychiatric nurse
, student nurses and mental health workers in Alberta
. UNA negotiates collective bargaining
with the employers, of which the largest is Alberta Health Services
. UNA is a strong advocate for public healthcare
, safe staffing levels, occupational health and safety, democracy, and membership participation. UNA also provides educational opportunities Heather Smith is the President of UNA and has held the position since in 1988.
UNA was formed in 1977 when the Alberta Association of Registered Nurses (now the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta) general membership voted to make the collective bargaining committee of the AARN an independent organization. In 1997, UNA and the Staff Nurses' Association of Alberta amalgamated, forming one union for nurses in the province.
In 1977, UNA members began a legal strike at seven hospitals in cities around Alberta. After four days a public emergency was declared and the nurses, facing high fines, went back to work. Nurses were the first group of Alberta employees to be threatened with legislated fines. As a result of the strike, nurses won a 9% salary increase from arbitration. UNA members also went on strike in 1982, 1983, and 1988. UNA was a strong advocate against the deep healthcare funding cuts made by government during the 1990s.
Since 2000, UNA has been a strong advocate for strengthening Alberta's public healthcare system and has advocated for the hiring of more professional nursing staff. In 2009, UNA filed a grievance alleging that unfilled vacancies were forcing nurses to work overtime and forego time off for vacations and professional upgrading. That same year, UNA filed a formal complaint against AHS CEO Stephen Duckett
, alleging he violated his organizations code of conduct, which requires all employees "to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and integrity." UNA claimed that statements Duckett made in the media, in speeches and on his blog about the possibility of layoffs, the way nurses are scheduled, how they are paid and how many breaks they take, were false.
UNA members voted to affiliate with the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) in 1988 and join the Alberta Federation of Labour
in 2001.
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
representing almost 25,000 Registered Nurses
Registered nurse
A registered nurse is a nurse who has graduated from a nursing program at a university or college and has passed a national licensing exam. A registered nurse helps individuals, families, and groups to achieve health and prevent disease...
, Registered psychiatric nurse
Registered Psychiatric Nurse
A Registered Psychiatric Nurse is a professional mental health nurse in Canada , New Zealand, Australia and other jurisdictions.-See also:* Psychiatric and mental health nursing* Licensed practical nurse...
, student nurses and mental health workers in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
. UNA negotiates collective bargaining
Collective bargaining
Collective bargaining is a process of negotiations between employers and the representatives of a unit of employees aimed at reaching agreements that regulate working conditions...
with the employers, of which the largest is Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services
Alberta Health Services is the province-wide organization responsible for providing hospital and other health care in the Canadian province of Alberta. Known as the "superboard", it was created in May 2008, with the abolition of nine previous regional health authorities, the Alberta Mental Health...
. UNA is a strong advocate for public healthcare
Publicly-funded health care
Publicly funded health care is a form of health care financing designed to meet the cost of all or most health care needs from a publicly managed fund. Usually this is under some form of democratic accountability, the right of access to which are set down in rules applying to the whole population...
, safe staffing levels, occupational health and safety, democracy, and membership participation. UNA also provides educational opportunities Heather Smith is the President of UNA and has held the position since in 1988.
UNA was formed in 1977 when the Alberta Association of Registered Nurses (now the College and Association of Registered Nurses of Alberta) general membership voted to make the collective bargaining committee of the AARN an independent organization. In 1997, UNA and the Staff Nurses' Association of Alberta amalgamated, forming one union for nurses in the province.
In 1977, UNA members began a legal strike at seven hospitals in cities around Alberta. After four days a public emergency was declared and the nurses, facing high fines, went back to work. Nurses were the first group of Alberta employees to be threatened with legislated fines. As a result of the strike, nurses won a 9% salary increase from arbitration. UNA members also went on strike in 1982, 1983, and 1988. UNA was a strong advocate against the deep healthcare funding cuts made by government during the 1990s.
Since 2000, UNA has been a strong advocate for strengthening Alberta's public healthcare system and has advocated for the hiring of more professional nursing staff. In 2009, UNA filed a grievance alleging that unfilled vacancies were forcing nurses to work overtime and forego time off for vacations and professional upgrading. That same year, UNA filed a formal complaint against AHS CEO Stephen Duckett
Stephen Duckett
Stephen John Duckett is an economist and health services manager who has occupied leadership roles in health services in both Australia and Canada. He is currently a professor at the University of Alberta.- Educational background:...
, alleging he violated his organizations code of conduct, which requires all employees "to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and integrity." UNA claimed that statements Duckett made in the media, in speeches and on his blog about the possibility of layoffs, the way nurses are scheduled, how they are paid and how many breaks they take, were false.
UNA members voted to affiliate with the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU) in 1988 and join the Alberta Federation of Labour
Alberta Federation of Labour
The Alberta Federation of Labour is the Alberta provincial trade union federation of the Canadian Labour Congress. It was founded in 1912 and has a membership of approximately 125,000 from 31 unions.-External links:*...
in 2001.