Thousands of unionized hospital workers across Alberta could be on the picket lines as early as Saturday morning, with the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) and Alberta Health Services (AHS) racing against the clock to reach a deal.

AUPE, which represents more than 16,000 licensed practical nurses and health care aides, returned to the bargaining table Thursday after issuing a strike notice earlier this week.

The union and the province remain about nine per cent apart on wages, according to AUPE President Sandra Azocar. But wages aren’t the only sticking point—staffing shortages and unsafe working conditions are also central to the dispute.

Unlike Alberta’s teachers, AUPE members are bound by an essential services agreement, meaning hospitals cannot be left unstaffed. Instead

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