Thousands of Alberta's frontline health-care workers are poised to walk off the job Saturday morning after last-ditch negotiations failed to produce an agreement, setting the stage for widespread service disruptions across the province's health system.
Countdown to Strike Action
At the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees headquarters in Edmonton, a dramatic countdown clock ticks away the hours until 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, when approximately 22% of the province's 16,000 licensed practical nurses and health-care aides will begin strike action. The union has transformed its common area into a command center, complete with portable workstations and multiple displays tracking the time remaining until what many are calling a health-care crisis.
Newly elected AUPE president Sandra Azocar, who took office on October 25, 2025, stated that the union had exhausted all other options before arriving at this decision. "No one chooses this lightly," Azocar emphasized during a press conference. "But we reached the point where we had no choice. We went into bargaining hoping, truly hoping, that we could achieve a fair agreement at the table."
Key Issues Driving the Strike
The two sides remain approximately nine percent apart on wage increases, a significant gap that has proven insurmountable despite some progress in negotiations. Compounding the wage dispute are serious concerns about inadequate staffing levels at health-care facilities throughout Alberta, which union leaders say compromises both patient care and worker safety.
Azocar delivered a firm message to the provincial government: "Make no mistake, our members will not back down from what is right, what is just and what is necessary." The union president's strong words reflect the determination of members who voted 98 percent in favor of strike action earlier this fall.
How the Strike Will Affect Health Services
Under the Essential Services Agreement between AUPE and the province, 78 percent of staff are designated as essential and will remain on the job. The remaining 22 percent will participate in the strike, with Alberta Health Services schedulers determining which specific positions will be affected.
The rotating nature of the strike means staff will alternate between working and picketing if the labor action continues beyond Saturday. Azocar confirmed that some elective surgeries will be postponed as a direct result of the walkout.
Important to note is that this strike affects licensed practical nurses and health-care assistants, not registered nurses. The distinction lies in educational requirements and compensation—LPNs complete diploma programs typically lasting less than two years, while registered nurses hold four-year Bachelor of Nursing degrees and command higher salaries.
The union contends that accepting the current offer would widen the wage disparity between LPNs and RNs to approximately 20 percent, further exacerbating recruitment and retention challenges in the health-care system. The strike will impact Alberta Health Services facilities but not Covenant Health, as negotiations with that organization continue separately.
