UNA says AHS threat to reduce nursing positions won’t help retain and recruit nurses in Alberta

Dec 5, 2023 | 5:49 PM

EDMONTON – A nurses’ union says the Alberta government is making a bad situation worse in health care by threatening to cut and contract out jobs.

David Harrigan, with the United Nurses of Alberta, says he doubts the province has the wiggle room to cut those jobs in a system that’s already understaffed.

But he says such threats, while Alberta’s health system is undergoing a massive reorganization, tell prospective new hires they should brace for chaos.

Harrigan was referring to two recent letters from Alberta Health Services and Covenant Health advising the union that jobs will be in flux as the reorganization proceeds.