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Diminished provincial revenue is forcing the Alberta government to adopt “hard limits” on public sector spending, Premier Rachel Notley told the province’s nurses’ union Thursday in what could be a preview of upcoming labour negotiations.

“Our government is protecting vital public services, but that means we have very little room for new spending until the economy recovers,” Notley said in addressing the annual general meeting of the United Nurses of Alberta.

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“We are working with public sector partners to manage cost pressures within existing funding levels. In return, we offer stability and certainty in overall commitments from government.”

Notley, who worked as a labour relations officer for the nurses’ union prior to entering politics, received a warm response from the more than 1,000 union members gathered at Northlands.

However, it remains to be seen how long those sentiments will last, as the government and Alberta Health Services prepare for collective bargaining with much of the province’s health work force next year. In the case of the UNA, the union’s current four-year deal with AHS is set to expire March 31.