Amid a breakdown in contract talks, the B.C. Nurses’ Union says it’s preparing to hold a vote on job action
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Premier David Eby promised his government would find a path forward with nurses after the B.C. Nurses’ Union announced it had reached an impasse with mediation and would be conducting a strike vote in May.
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Eby acknowledged that contract talks, even with the help of veteran mediator Vince Ready, had broken down but reiterated that the best deal is one reached at the negotiating table.
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“There’s very few of us who haven’t had an experience in the health-care system that wasn’t made better by a compassionate nurse showing up at just the right moment,” said Eby. “We also know the nurses are highly, highly stressed in their jobs, whether it’s because of work hours or safety-related issues or other challenges that they face.”
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The union says the deal on the table could cap massage therapy coverage and reduce the benefits that nurses are receiving.
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Union president Adriane Gear said she appreciates the general wage increase offer of three per cent for four years, but added that other unions have been able to access an additional two per cent over two years. So far, the nurses have only been offered an additional 0.4 per cent.
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B.C. nurses were the highest paid in Canada as of November 2024, with registered nurses and registered practical nurses making between $81,000 and $123,000 annually, while licensed practical nurses make between $64,000 and $80,000 a year.
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Gear nevertheless said nurses have had a hard time since COVID-19 and continue to face increasing levels of violence, with many facing burnout.
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“We understand the employer’s desire for some cost containment around benefits,” said Gear, “However, now is not the time. Since 2019, our injury rates have gone up 25 per cent. Every 16 hours, one nurse goes off (duty) due to violence. Although we’ve negotiated ratios, we’re nowhere near full implementation. In fact, we simply don’t have enough nurses in this province.”
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The union walked away from the table April 20 and is planning a strike vote for May 8 through the 11, which means the BCNU could be on strike as early as mid-May.
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As nursing is an essential service, there won’t be a full-scale walkout, but some nurses could start working-to-rule, such as taking breaks or refusing to work overtime.
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If the strike escalates, some facilities could face a picket line while others remain open.
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Barry Eidlin, an associate sociology professor at McGill University in Montreal, says that health care has been hit with a wave of strikes across the country because of the rising cost of living and the added pressures put on health-care workers coming out of COVID.
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He said that the pressure on the B.C. government is especially great because of how the NDP is traditionally seen as the party of unions.
