Happy Thanksgiving from UNA

Thanksgiving prompts us to pause, reflect, and express gratitude. We are thankful for the dedicated health care workers who tirelessly provide care and comfort.

This Thanksgiving, we invite you to join us in standing together to protect and strengthen our public health care. When we support our nurses, we nurture our communities, care for our families, and ensure a brighter future for all.

United Nurses of Alberta extends Thanksgiving wishes to all Albertans across the province.

Education workshops for UNA members in October, November and December 2023

United Nurses of Alberta is pleased to offer in-person education workshops for members in October, November, and December 2023. Any UNA member who would like to become more knowledgeable and engaged can get a head start through the union’s educational workshops, which provide members with a wealth of information, a space for discussion, and activity-based learning.

If a workshop is full, please check ahead for future dates or email events@una.ca to be added to a waitlist.

Full workshop descriptions and funding information can be found on the Education page of the UNA website.

Workshops for All UNA Members:

  • Boundaries & Self-Care (Online) – October 4, 09:00-12:00

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – October 5 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – October11 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Calgary) – October 11 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Calgary) – October 12

  • Know Your Rights (Red Deer) – October 12

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – October 24 (waitlisted)

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – October 25 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – November 8 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – November 14 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – November 15

  • Dealing With Abuse (Edmonton) – November 16 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – December 5 (waitlisted)

  • Know Your Rights (Calgary) – December 6

  • Boundaries & Self-Care (Online) – December 7, 13:00-16:00

  • Know Your Rights (Edmonton) – December 12 (waitlisted)

Workshops for Unit/Office Representatives & Local Executives:

  • Engagement & Support (Calgary) – October 24 (waitlisted)

  • Engagement & Support (Edmonton) – October 26 (waitlisted)

  • Taking Action (Calgary) – November28

  • Taking Action (Edmonton) – November 30 (waitlisted)

Workshops for Committee Members & Local Executives:

  • OH&S Advanced (Edmonton) – November 7

  • OH&S Advanced (Calgary) – November 8

Workshops for Local Executives:

  • Budget Q&A Sessions (Online)

    • October 4 – 16:00-17:00

    • October 6 – 09:00-10:00

    • October 10 – 19:30-20:30

  • How to Run a Local: Finance (Red Deer) – October 5

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – October 12

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Edmonton) – October 31

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – November 7

  • How to Run a Local: Labour Relations (Edmonton) – November 9

  • How to Run a Local: Administration (Calgary) – November 16

Register Online

UNA members who have activated their UNAnet accounts can register online via DMS. Any Local Executive can register members of their Local in workshops by navigating to Local Admin > Events in DMS. Members are expected to register in workshops closest to their home.

Please check the Events Calendar and DMS Events regularly as the workshop schedule may have changes or additions. Contact events@una.ca with any questions related to workshops or registration.

UNA calls for full public inquiry into Calgary E. coli outbreak

United Nurses of Alberta calls on the provincial government to launch a full public inquiry into the lab-confirmed E. coli poisonings of more than 350 children at 11 day care facilities in Calgary last month.

UNA believes a panel led by a former Conservative candidate no matter how well intentioned is not sufficient to ensure public confidence in either the conclusions drawn about how this tragedy came to occur or any solutions proposed.

Accordingly, as the representative of Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and other health care professionals throughout Alberta, UNA urges the provincial government to call a formal public inquiry, led by an impartial judge, under the terms of the Public Inquiries Act.

With a properly constituted public inquiry, the public can be confident that the findings of the inquiry have not been drafted with political considerations in mind, and that the inquiry has the ability to compel sworn testimony by witnesses.

Following the E. coli poisonings that began on the Labour Day weekend, an investigation by public health officials reviewed the food histories of more than 1,000 children and 250 staff members at the day care facilities who had received food from a centralized kitchen business that was operating without a license.

Close to 40 people, almost all of them children, were hospitalized, and at least six required dialysis as a result of the outbreak.

The government announced on September 27 it had formed a “Food Safety and Licensed Facility-based Childcare Review Panel” to be led by former Progressive Conservative candidate and Calgary police chief Rick Hanson.

An investigation by public health officials reviewed the food histories of more than 1,000 children and 250 staff members, the government said at that time.