Public Health Nurses to be transferred to Primary Care Alberta
United Nurses of Alberta was informed on May 22 that that more than 2,000 positions held by Registered Nurses represented by our union working in public health roles will be transferred from Alberta Health Services to the new Primary Care Alberta agency.
The transfer of UNA members plus additional employees represented by other unions from AHS to PCA will become effective on July 1, 2025. Formal transfer notices are expected to be delivered to impacted employees on May 27.
In addition to the UNA members, 10 positions held by Nurse Practitioners, 149 by members of the Auxiliary Nursing Care bargaining unit, 906 by members of General Support Services, 495 by members of Paramedical Professional and Technical, and 275 NUEEs will be transferred.
As was the case when UNA members were transferred from AHS to Recovery Alberta last year, those employees currently represented by UNA will continue to be represented by this union when they are transferred to their new employer, Primary Care Alberta.
UNA remains deeply concerned about the chaos caused by this restructuring on nurses and their ability to deliver the best patient care possible within the public health care system. However, a Letter of Understanding signed by UNA and AHS on May 31, 2024, which is now part of the Provincial Collective Agreement, retains and expands the rights of employees affected by the creation of new provincial health agencies.
The announcement is part of the Alberta government’s ongoing restructuring of the publicly owned and operated AHS agency into four separate sector-based provincial health agencies: PrimaryCare Alberta, Acute Care Alberta,Recovery Alberta and Assisted Living Alberta.
Under the LOU, employees will have the option to transfer to the new employer or to remain employed with AHS, with full rights to displace or fill a vacant position under Article 15 of the Provincial Collective Agreement. Indirectly affected employees displaced by affected Employees will have, in addition to full Article 15 rights, the right to select a vacant position at PCA.
More detailed information on employee transfer rights will be posted as soon as it is available on this website.
More information available today is found at: https://www.una.ca/primarycarealbertapublichealthnurses
