UNA believes LPNs are nurses. They are not “nurses’ helpers.”

Since 2022, United Nurses of Alberta has been aware of the effort by Alberta Licensed Practical Nurses to gain proper recognition for their work as members of a regulated profession that provides direct nursing care.

Since the passage by the Alberta Legislature in 2003 of a law creating large “functional bargaining units” in health care, UNA has disagreed with the assignment of Licensed Practical Nurses to the “Auxiliary Nursing Care” bargaining unit.

UNA believes LPNs clearly provide direct nursing care and belong in the “Direct Nursing” bargaining unit, along with Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses, who also provide direct nursing care.

Since 2003, LPNs’ practice has steadily increased and overlapped with RNs’ practice in Alberta’s heath care system. If there was an argument in 2003 for including LPNs in the Auxiliary Nursing care bargaining unit, it is clearly no longer valid.

While UNA did not initiate the application by LPNs for Change or encourage LPNs to pursue it, we believe LPNs deserve recognition for their skill and education and the fact they provide direct nursing care.

We believe inclusion of LPNs in the Direct Nursing bargaining unit would provide them with the recognition and representation they deserve.

• UNA recognizes that as LPN practice has expanded over time, the division between “auxiliary” and “direct” nursing care bargaining units has increasingly become confusing, arbitrary, inconsistently applied. This is unfair to LPNs.
• In March 2023, UNA’s Executive Board passed a resolution stating, “That UNA acknowledges that LPN’s provide direct nursing care.”
• UNA believes the inclusion of LPNs in the auxiliary bargaining unit is contrary to repeated statements by the Alberta Labour Relations Board that the work done by nurses should be the key factor in determining what bargaining unit represents those nurses. It is clear that in the case of LPNs, placement is based on credentials, not duties.
• In many Canadian provinces, LPNs are represented by the same union that bargains for Registered Nurses. This has worked well for all nurses, including LPNs.
• Some LPNs have expressed the belief UNA made statements in the past that disparaged LPNs in an advertising campaign. This is simply untrue. UNA has never disparaged LPNs. As the union for Registered Nurses, UNA is proud of the work it does to represent RNs. If we have the honour to represent Alberta’s LPNs, we will represent them with the same enthusiasm and vigour.
• UNA treats all members with respect and strives to represent them appropriately.
• UNA would never tell a group of hundreds of members that their effort to achieve change “is without merit, is doomed to fail and is a colossal waste of resources.”
• As a proud member of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, UNA is affiliated with a powerful voice that advocates for all Canadian nurses, including LPNs. We continue to support that important work on behalf of all nurses.
• Without qualification, UNA believes nurses who provide direct nursing care deserve to be recognized for their profession and their work.
• Daily practice in many Alberta hospitals clearly recognizes that LPNs provide direct nursing care. LPNs and RNs work together daily as part of the Direct Nursing team.