HSAA union members rallied outside the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital on Thursday over the noon hour. Jesse Gill/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

UPDATED

Video: Health-care professionals rally in Medicine Hat and across Alberta for a better deal

Oct 2, 2025 | 10:43 AM

Thousands of health-care professionals rallied outside health centres across the province over the noon hour Thursday to call for a better deal from the provincial government.

Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) members gathered at their worksites for a “Day of Unity” after a majority of members voted to reject the Alberta government’s latest offer.

The group said it didn’t do enough to address the serious challenges faced by health-care professionals in Alberta.

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A vote last month had over 59 per cent of voters reject the latest offer, with 78 per cent of members casting a ballot.

HSAA represents more than 22,000 health-care professionals covered by the agreement, including paramedics, diagnostic imaging specialists, mental health and addiction counsellors, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, dietitians, social workers and more than 200 other professions.

“Albertans deserve expert medical care delivered by a team of well-supported and well-resourced professionals. But right now, unsustainable workloads, constant short staffing, and severe burnout are driving professionals out of the health system and out of Alberta, creating a crisis in our hospitals and health centres,” said HSAA President Mike Parker.

“The government’s last offer failed to address these issues, and now we are asking Albertans to join us in supporting health professionals so they can deliver the care we deserve.”

HSAA south district board member Trevor Puritch who also works as a paramedic, said there is a crisis in the health-care system, and the situation has reached the point where union members are thinking about leaving the province.

“We all want what’s best for our patients. But when you’re overworked, understaffed, and you’re short-staffed, we want and we need help,” Puritch said.

“That’s why it’s so important to work with the government and have our public understand that our focus is that.”

The Alberta government also released a statement on Thursday.

“We are aware of today’s HSAA rallies in several communities across Alberta,” said Marisa Breeze, Senior Press Secretary to Nate Horner, Minister of Treasury Board and Finance.

“Alberta Health Services and the HSAA remain at the bargaining table. We are committed to reaching a fair and fiscally responsible agreement that supports health-care workers and protects taxpayers.”

In southern Alberta, health-care professionals rallied outside the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital and Lethbridge Chinook Regional Hospital.

Across the province, rallies were held in Calgary, Edmonton, Stony Plain, St. Albert, Fort McMurray, Grande Prairie, and Red Deer.