Nurses, healthcare workers and union representatives march in front of the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital in protest of the UCP proposed rollbacks (photo courtesy Ross Lavigne)

By Teagan Rasche

Exhausted, overworked, short-staffed

‘You claim we’re heroes, but clearly we’re zeros’: local nurses march to protest proposed UCP rollbacks

Aug 11, 2021 | 4:25 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Dozens of nurses, health-care workers and union representatives passionately marched in front of the hospital, joining a province-wide Day of Action pushing back against UCP policies.

Local United Nurses of Alberta representative Megan Eggins says they’re trying to send the message the proposed rollbacks are unfair.

”Nurses are exhausted, they’re overworked,” Eggins said. “We are seeing such shortages. Shortages have always been an issue for years but it’s getting worse right now.”

On July 6, the UCP government proposed a three per cent salary cut for nurses. This is a year and a half into the pandemic, where nurses have been on the front lines.

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Eggins says nurses have many concerns as they negotiate a new collective agreement.

“It is going to have impacts because of exhaustion,” Eggins said. “There is going to be increased errors with things. We are here, we work for patient care. We advocate for patient safety and that is a huge issue for us as well. It’s also going to impact other health care workers, not just nurses.”

Eggins and fellow union representative John Terry both stress that nurses’ frustrations aren’t about salaries, but more about patient safety, fairness and working conditions.

“We’ve taken zeros for six years, they complain that nurses are paid higher, but everybody in Alberta is paid higher. The average profession in Alberta is paid 15 per cent more than across Canada. Nurses are making 5.6 per cent more than the rest of Canada,” Terry, a south district representative for United Nurses of Alberta, said.

In a statement, Alberta finance minister Travis Toews says he believes the proposal is fair, reasonable and in the best interests of Albertans.

“At a time when Alberta has $93 billion in debt, we must keep our focus on the long-term fiscal health of the province,” the statement said.

But union representatives say they will continue pushing for a better deal.

“You claim we’re heroes but clearly we’re zeros, actually negative three per cent is what we are,” Eggins said.