President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, Nate Horner, issued a statement on ratification of a new contract between Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the United Nurses of Alberta (UNA).
“We all have tremendous respect for nurses and know that our health care system could not thrive without them.
This new agreement places Alberta’s registered nurses in a strong and competitive position in the marketplace, which will support recruitment and retention.
In addition, the Graduate Nursing Transition Pilot Program commits to hiring 1,000 new nursing graduates every year, throughout the term of the contract. This means that almost every nurse who graduates from a post-secondary institution in the province could have a full-time position following graduation.
All of these initiatives will hopefully reduce the need for overtime, agency staffing and the need to recruit internationally educated nurses.
Investment into recruitment for rural and remote areas will triple, to more than $22 million per year, attracting nurses in all communities. Both parties agreed to address safe staffing processes, which are now contained in the agreement.
My thanks to the union leadership and Alberta Health Services for reaching a fair and equitable settlement that balances government’s ability to continue to invest in health care and provide fair and market-based compensation for nurses.”
