Soon after Premier Ed Stelmach and Treasury Board President Lloyd Snelgrove's comments that the provincial government is looking at the possibility of spending and possible job cuts, in light of declining government revenues, Alberta 's largest public service unions have been urging the provincial government to refrain from budget cuts, even though faced with tough economic times.

According to Doug Knight, President, Alberta Union of Provincial Employees, Alberta has not yet recovered from similar measures imposed under former premier Ralph Klein's government in the 1990s. He believes huge spending cuts, coupled with massive job losses, spell economic disaster for Alberta .

While, Heather Smith, President, United Nurses of Alberta, says longer waits in emergency rooms and another 'huge shortage' of staff and beds, is the last thing Albertans want. 'Ill-conceived' budget cuts in 1994 that led to 5,000 nurses to be laid-off, has prevented the province from keeping pace with population growth. She believes the province can't afford to lose more health care workers, as it has taken years to '…rebuild capacity in terms of being able to deliver services'. She also accuses the government of using the economic cutbacks, simply as an excuse for advancing its' privatization of the Alberta health care system agenda.

Causing great alarm amongst the unions, the Premier and Treasury Board President's statements have 'whiff of panic' around them, what with the dramatic fall of oil prices. Though, Alberta has a $7.7-billion Sustainability Fund to dip into, Snelgrove says the government should limit what it takes out of it.