UNA Local 2 members joined nurses arounf hte province on Saturday in the Day of Action rallies. (rdnewsNOW/ Ian Gustafson)

By Ian Gustafson

Further Support

Red Deer nurses join Day of Action calling for more respect

Jan 25, 2025 | 1:00 PM

The United Nurses of Alberta held information pickets, and rallies for the province-wide Day of Action on Saturday, including in Red Deer.

Nurses from Red Deer and other communities in central Alberta joined their coworkers on the corner of Gaetz Avenue and 32 Street from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to show their support for safe staffing, safe patient care, and public health care, and call for respect for frontline health care workers.

President of the UNA Local 2, Sue Beatson, which represents nurses at the Red Deer Regional Hospital and Michener Extendicare, said the rally is all about calling for respect.

“Respect for the nurses and their value. Safe staffing is part of that respect and without it we don’t have the patient care. So, safe staffing equals safe patient care,” she said.

“I think for all Albertans that’s what we’re looking for. Those of us on the front lines, unless we get the respect and the resources we need to provide that, it’s hard for us to do our job.”

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UNA Local 2 members joined nurses arounf hte province on Saturday in the Day of Action rallies. (rdnewsNOW/ Ian Gustafson)

The Day of Action comes just days after formal mediation commenced on Jan. 23. According to the latest update on the UNA website, the recommendations made by the government were not viewed as fair and the monetary elements were not adequate to meet member expectations.

“We’re out here just trying to bring public awareness, protecting the public health system, and protecting the people of Alberta,” she added.

“Right now, we’re in negotiations and our big thing is respect. It’s respect for the nurses who are doing the care and that includes safe staffing and monetary to keep up with the cost of living. We need support to help do our jobs the way we know we can.

“We just hope Alberta Health Services and those other employers at the table, along with the government, can negotiate a fair contract.”

The Day of Action is happening on the anniversary of the 1988 nurses’ strike, which saw more than 14,000 nurses at hospitals across Alberta walk off the job, beginning the last province-wide strike by UNA members.

“We’re a resilient bunch and we hope to get the support from the people of Alberta and our own community,” she added.

“We always feel the support of the community because it’s the community that a lot of our issues are around is keeping them safe, and hoping they have safe healthcare for themselves and their families.”

The other rallies tool place in Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, Bonnyville, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Olds, St. Albert, Slave Lake, and Two Hills.

United Nurses of Alberta is the union for more than 35,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and allied health workers.