After months of negotiations, Alberta Nursing Care workers have signed a new deal with their employer. The collective agreement was ratified this past Friday evening, with just over 63 per cent of voters supporting the agreement.
Highlights from the new agreement include a 24 per cent wage increase for Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs), increased investments in a fund that attracts nurses to rural parts of the province, and a higher on-call pay rate.
“This was a long and frustrating process, but our members have officially raised the bar for collective agreements in this province,” Alberta Union of Public Employees President Sandra Azocar said in a news release Friday.
Earlier this fall, Nursing Care workers voted 99 per cent in favour of a strike. LPNs in particular had been advocating for a wage increase of 40 to 55 per cent over four years, citing their increased scope of practice, now comparable to that of Registered Nurses.
That only 63 per cent voted in favour of the final deal points to the unease that many LPNs felt in relation to the offer.
“There are a lot of negative feelings” toward the deal, said LPNs for Change member Audrey in an interview with TheRockies.Life.
Scope increase without salary increase
The scope of LPN practice has been increasing for years, and one government document points to why this is happening.
In late 2023, former politician Preston Manning published the “Public Health Emergencies Government Review Panel Final Report” for the government of Alberta. The document was to review the Alberta government’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and recommend changes that could be made to address future public health emergencies.
The document recommended that the government “expand the use of licensed practical nurses” to respond to increased demands on the health care system, noting that LPNs are paid significantly less than RNs. It said nothing of LPNs’ pay being increased to match the recommended increased scope of practice.
This recommendation follows a trend that LPNs have noticed over the past ten years. Tasks have gradually expanded, with LPNs’ workload now closely resembling that of an RN. Meanwhile, wages have not kept up with inflation.
“Two LPNs can provide blood transfusion, which is considered a high risk, restricted activity. In other provinces, at least one RN needs to be performing independent checks and skills to have an LPN allowed to participate in a blood transfusion,” Audrey said.
“We’re cheap labor,” echoed LPNS for Change member Amy.
Agreement changes nothing, advocates say
LPNs for Change advocates for the increased recognition of LPNs in the province. The group says the recent deal with their employer does not reflect how LPNs’ role has shifted and grown over the years, and that it will not provide LPNs with a fair wage.
“We don’t believe that this agreement changes anything,” said Audrey. “Many members will continue to show up to work while worrying about how they can pay their bills.
“Many of us are actually embarrassed about how much money we make,” she said. “We add so much value to the system and we make so little. We don’t feel valued, we don’t feel recognized, we don’t feel understood.”
The group would like to see a deal that recognizes LPNs’ years of training, and that offers better work-life balance. “This includes not only the wage itself, but also no longer having rotations that force members to work seven days in a row, or three weekends in a row,” said Audrey.
A fairer deal, according to the group, would be one where “not only are we paid for our ability to successfully keep the population alive and healthy, but also that the government gives us the recognition that we provide knowledgeable and high quality direct nursing care.”
“RNs are being paid their worth and add extremely valuable expertise to the system. We as LPNs are only asking the same level of respect while also understanding that we will not be making the same exact fee as an RN,” said Audrey.
