AUPE has received a letter of support, backing its actions, from the provincial College of Licensed Practical Nurses. MacLennan said the union submitted an offer for the licensed practical nurses at about 4 a.m. and were waiting for a response from provincial health authorities. Some members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees were reported to be refusing to cross picket lines at three hospitals - in Leduc, St. Albert and the Misericordia in Edmonton. Employees whose shifts began before the deadline were told to report for work and leave when the strike began. Contingency plans went into effect as the walkout neared, with hospitals discharging as many patients as possible and cancelling elective surgery requiring a hospital stay.
Wages are at the heart of the dispute.
On Tuesday, the Alberta Labour Relations Board filed a ruling in Court of Queen's Bench ordering the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees to stop planning or threatening a strike. Also on Tuesday, the province appointed a disputes inquiry board to deal with 1,200 union members who work at Alberta's two major psychiatric hospitals. The workers, who fall under the Provincial Mental Health Board, are the only ones who have an undisputed right to strike. The move to set up the board means no job action can occur until at least 10 days after the minister notifies the parties of the board's recommendations. MacLennan said his members would discuss the implications of the inquiry board before deciding their next move.