For Immediate Release
October 7, 2003
Albertans agree nurses should
refuse unsafe contract
UNA provincial poll shows citizens concerned bad contract
would hurt health system
Nearly 80 percent of Albertans think nurses should refuse to accept a contract that would endanger patient care according to a public opinion poll released by UNA today. Over 88% of the Albertans asked, said they do not think that Health Regions should be able to send nurses to work in different hospitals. They also said that they would oppose the provincial government imposing a contract on nurses. Over 66% of those polled agreed that imposing an agreement to increase nurses’ workloads would worsen the nursing shortage and lower the quality of patient care in the province.
“Albertans are well aware of the vital role registered nurses play in our health system and they know we have to improve nurses’ working conditions, not worsen them,” says UNA President Heather Smith. “We were pleased by the public support the poll shows for nurses. The fact that nearly two-thirds of Albertans know about what nurses are facing is very heartening. Almost all of those people think nurses should not agree to a contract that would worsen patient care conditions.”
The United Nurses of Alberta released the poll as they headed into their provincial annual general meeting in Edmonton. Conducted by Viewpoints Research, the poll of over 600 Albertans has a margin of error 3.9% nineteen times out of twenty.
The poll also showed that Albertans think the Health Regions should go back to the bargaining table instead of spending hundreds of thousands of public health dollars on public relations and advertising.
“Health Regions – and the government that appoints them – should pay attention to the opinions of the citizens they serve. Albertans do not want a bad agreement forced on to nurses,” Heather Smith said. “They recognize how dangerous this can be in our health system and they do not support it. The lesson for the Health Regions is clear, go back to bargaining and work out a fair, safe contract.”
There were two especially remarkable observations on the poll results. The first was that the more people were aware of the issues in contract negotiations, the more strongly they supported nurses. Albertans also reported not just that they agree with nurses but very many “strongly agree”. Twenty three percent of those polled, for example, strongly oppose the health regions imposing a settlement on nurses.
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Keith Wiley, Communications Officer Cell: 919-5465
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