Calgary nurses file to unionize

Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report for May 2025. In it was a new application for union certification.

The United Nurses of Alberta filed the application on 2 May 2025 for workers employed by Silverado Seniors Village Partnership.

The Calgary-based employer operates the Silverado Creek Seniors Community, which is owned by Park Place Seniors Living.

UNA is applying on behalf of 20 workers who are employed in either direct nursing care or nursing instruction.

The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees unionized this workplace in 2022 for workers not employed in direct nursing care or nursing instruction. They ratified their first collective agreement the following year.

The ALRB has scheduled a hearing for later today, during which time, the employer will have a chance to argue why the think these workers shouldn’t unionize with Local 424.

If the ALRB approves the application, the 3 workers who’d be affected by it will democratically vote on whether to join the union.

To file a certification vote with the ALRB, a union must show evidence that at least 40% of the workers covered by the proposed bargaining unit actually support unionizing.

In this case, that would be 4 workers. Assuming they all follow through and vote in favour of unionizing, they’d need to convince just 6 more workers to vote with them and the certification passes.

If the workers do vote in favour of unionizing, their first step will be to organize a bargaining team so they can begin negotiating their first collective agreement.

Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new applications reports, I’ve included a copy of this one below.