For Immediate Release
October 23, 2006
Elections and speakers
at United Nurses AGM
The provincial annual meeting of United Nurses of Alberta will again bring over 500 Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses to the Agricom in Edmonton from October 24, 25, and 26th.
“Top on nurses’ minds this year is the shortage of staff. It’s really hitting home that hundreds of nursing positions are vacant. There are no nurses to fill them,” says UNA President Heather Smith.
Provincial contract talks begin in January and Heather Smith said nurses want solutions to the workload crisis that is hurting patient care.
There is an election for the position of provincial President this year. Chandra Clarke, a nurse from Edmonton’s Grey Nuns Hospital, has been nominated as has long-standing President Heather Smith, who also is from the Grey Nuns Local. Delegates from UNA’s nearly 200 Locals will also elect representatives to the provincial executive board and approve an annual budget.
The meeting also features several guest speakers, including Michael Villeneuve from the Canadian Nurses’ Association who will be speaking on what nursing could look like in the year 2020. Ricardo Acuña and Diana Gibson from the Parkland Institute will also be speaking. They are looking at the provincial context for our health care system.
The meeting is private, for UNA members and guests, but is open to the media for key speeches including:
? Heather Smith, President’s Address. shortly after 9 am Tuesday, October 24
? Ricardo Acuña and Diana Gibson, 1 pm Wednesday, October 25
? Michael Villeneuve, 9 am Thursday, October 26
The elections occur on the final day of the meeting and results will be available at about 4 pm on Thursday, October 26.
UNA is the union of over 23,000 Registered Nurses, Registered Psychiatric Nurses and a small number of allied health care workers.
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