AUPE Healthcare Workers Stand United: Strike Vote Closes in Calgary
The clock is ticking for approximately 15,000 to over 16,000 Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) healthcare workers. Their critical strike vote, which kicked off on October 30, 2025, officially wraps up today, November 3, 2025, at 4:30 p.m. These dedicated professionals, including licensed practical nurses, healthcare aides, and pharmacy technicians, are demanding fair wage increases, better work-life balance, improved benefits, professional development support, and relief on mileage and parking costs.
Workers highlight that inflation has severely impacted their ability to afford basic necessities, causing their wages to lag behind. While Alberta Health Services has offered a 12 percent pay increase over four years, this proposal includes rolling back wages for some positions.
A potential strike could significantly disrupt healthcare services across Alberta, including longer wait times and a scramble for essential care right here in Calgary. Our city's emergency rooms already experience varied wait times, with some facilities occasionally seeing maximum waits up to 7.5 hours, depending on the day and time. While AHS reports recent improvements in EMS response times and hospital offload delays, with Calgary's 90th percentile response time decreasing to 14.2 minutes since November 2022, concerns about limited ambulance availability persist.
For many healthcare support workers in Calgary, who earn an average base salary of $24.00 per hour or $49,920 annually, the rising cost of living is a major concern. With a one-bedroom apartment in Calgary costing between $1,500 and $2,000 monthly, and the city's cost of living being 20% higher than the Canadian average, many workers face financial strain, with some reportedly working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
The earliest a strike could legally commence is November 17, 2025, following mediated meetings scheduled from November 6-9. It's a critical time for those who keep our city healthy. For ongoing updates and community discussion, local forums like r/Calgary remain a valuable resource.