Alberta LPNs seek reclassification, union pushes back

He explains that the goal of the movement is to have workers reclassified from “Auxiliary Nursing Care” to “Direct Nursing Care”.

Martin states that auxiliary nurses provide assistance to direct care nurses in the care of patients. “You don’t even need a license to do what auxiliary nurses do,” Martin said.

In contrast, some of the many tasks involved in direct care include bedside nursing, medication administration, clinical assessments, nursing interventions, and collaborating with inter-disciplinary teams.

Martin said, “We work hand-in-hand with RNs [registered nurses], but we no longer work underneath the supervision of an RN. That’s something that changed many years ago.”

“Each employer is slightly different in what LPNs can do at their sites, as well as unit-to-unit, but that still does not change the fact that we provide direct nursing care on every unit in the province,” Martin told Pattison Media. “Essentially, direct care nursing is what we need to be classified as.”

At the end of the day, he said reclassification is more about respect and the acknowledgement of the hard work of LPNs than anything else.

“We’re not in this to change unions and we’re not doing this to get higher wages and we’re not saying we are registered nurses, or that we want to be registered nurses, for that matter,” said Martin. “We’re just saying we do provide direct nursing care and we have for a long time, and it’s time that we’re recognized as such.”

AUPE issued a response to the reclassification movement on May 31, 2023, saying the application to the Alberta Labour Relations Board “will almost certainly fail.”

They state that “other unions have applied for LPNs to move into Direct Nursing Care many times in the last 20 years and the Labour Board has consistently denied these applications.”

The union adds that restructuring the health care system will not fix workplace issues such as pay, recognition, or morale.

Martin said he is incredibly disappointed to see AUPE give such a response to their application.

“They claim that we don’t actually provide direct nursing care, and that’s a concern to us. It’s disappointing because they are the union that represents us currently, and if that’s what they truly believe, that’s extremely inaccurate and not factual,” said Martin.

He also took issue with AUPE’s claim that LPNs for Change includes just five members.

Martin points to the fact that, as of this publication, a petition on Change.org has more than 2,200 signatures, the LPNs for Change Facebook page has garnered over 1,500 followers, and more than 400 people have added their names to an application to the labour board.

A letter of support for reclassification has been submitted to the labour board by United Nurses of Alberta, while AHS and Covenant Health have taken a neutral position on the matter.

Other unions, such as United Steelworkers and the Canadian Union of Public Employees, have sided with AUPE in asking that the application be dismissed.

On Tuesday, June 14, 2023, LPNs for Change submitted its application to the labour board. At this time, it is unclear when a decision might be made.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now

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by David Opinko

Alberta LPNs seek reclassification, union pushes back

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