Fifteen nurses at a long-term care centre in Edmonton have walked off the job.

Nurses at the Devonshire Care Centre are demanding to have their wages brought into line with other care centres. They say when wages and benefits are totalled, they are making around $9 an hour less than their counterparts in the city.

“This sad thing is, that there is only 15 nurses. If [the owner] can’t afford to pay 15 nurses what they’re worth, then I think he should just sell,” said nurse Debbie Savage.

Heather Smith, president of United Nurses of Alberta, says that meeting with the operators are set for next week.

“I think there is a real sense of disappointment.

"I think that they feel that they give, and they feel they are not being respected,” she said.

Negotiations for a new contract have been underway for over a year.