HSAA members stand up for health care.

Frontline Health Professionals Reach Tentative Agreement

Media Releases

EDMONTON – The Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA) has reached a tentative agreement with Alberta Health Services and other provincial health agencies and corporations on behalf of more than 22,000 health professionals.

The tentative agreement comes after 16 months of challenging negotiations and a formal mediation process. It includes improvements to wages, working conditions, and job stability for paramedics, diagnostic imaging specialists, mental health and addiction counsellors, social workers, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, speech language pathologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, and more than 150 other professions.

HSAA’s Bargaining Committee and Board of Directors are recommending the tentative agreement.

Members employed by AHS, Acute Care Alberta, Recovery Alberta, Primary Care Alberta, Lamont Health Care Centre, and Bethany Nursing Home of Camrose will vote on the agreement from August 28 to September 10.

“Our members are there for Albertans from the first call for help to diagnosis, treatment and recovery. They work short-staffed under extreme pressures, and they deserve recognition for the essential care they provide each and every day,” said HSAA President Mike Parker.

“While this agreement doesn’t include everything we wanted, it does reflect some of the priorities our members have been seeking, including higher wages and improved benefits.”

There are no concessions in this tentative agreement and all AHS proposals for wage freezes were defeated in bargaining.

“Our bargaining team fought hard for our members and exhausted all options. We believe this agreement is the most that can be achieved in formal mediation,” said Parker. 

“This deal belongs to our members, and it is up to our members to decide.”

Tentative Agreement Highlights

Wage Increases

The agreement contains wage improvements for members, including:

  • A 12 per cent base wage increase for all members as follows:
    • 3 per cent increase retroactive to April 1, 2024.
    • 3 per cent increase retroactive to April 1, 2025.
    • 3 per cent increase effective April 1, 2026.
    • 3 per cent increase effective April 1, 2027.
  • Immediate market adjustments to salary for approximately 19 per cent of members, with the opportunity for additional market adjustments during the term of the agreement.
    • Primary Care Paramedics and Emergency Communication Officers receive an additional 8.44 per cent.
    • Advanced Care Paramedics, Public Education Officers, and Clinical Supervisors receive an additional 4 per cent.
    • Psychologist I & II will receive an additional 6.1 per cent.
    • Neuropsychologist (Supplementary Salary Schedule Former Calgary Health Region) will receive an additional 6.1 per cent.
    • Psychologist (Local Conditions Applicable to Calgary Community Including Airdrie and Cochrane) will receive an additional 6.1 per cent.
    • Cardiovascular Perfusionist I & II will receive new steps on their wage grid.

Other Monetary and Benefit Improvements

  • Meaningful increases to other monetary items and new monetary items including on-call premiums, preceptor pay, long-service pay, travel and meal expenses, and professional fee reimbursement.
  • Improved coverage for dental, massage therapy and diabetic supplies.
  • Improved leaves of absence including five days of paid domestic violence leave, job-protected leave for education upgrades, and new professional development days.

Job Stability, Workload Protections, Retention and Recruitment

  • New provisions protecting members rights and benefits during any staff transfers resulting from the Government of Alberta’s restructuring of health care and the creation of new health agencies and corporations.
  • A new process for appealing unmanageable workloads and new language protecting members from excessive overtime demands.
  • A $54-million investment by the Government of Alberta in the Rural Capacity Investment Fund (RCIF) to increase retention and recruitment of professionals.

-30-

Mike Parker is available for interviews upon request.

Media Inquiries:  
Matt Dykstra, Communications Officer  
780-224-9202 | mdykstra@hsaa.ca