Nurses have voted 67 per cent to reject the tentative agreement reached between the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) and B.C.’s health employers on May 22.
While the tentative agreement included important gains, most nurses want the government and health employers to recognize the value of their work.
“For many nurses, this vote was about more than the terms of a collective agreement,” said BCNU President and Chair of the Provincial Bargaining Committee Adriane Gear. “It is about having agency – about having the opportunity to make their voices heard and express their frustration, their tenacity and absolute resolve for change. Nurses care deeply about their patients and their profession, but they are also telling us that the conditions they are working under cannot continue.”
B.C.’s nurses voted 98.2 per cent in favour of job action in May’s strike vote. This was one of the strongest bargaining mandates in Canadian labour history.
“The public sees crowded emergency departments, long waits for care and the challenges facing our health-care system,” said Gear. “Nurses experience those pressures every shift. This vote reflects the frustration many nurses feel about the conditions they are working in and the urgent need for continued action to support the profession and strengthen patient care.”
In the coming days, the NBA bargaining committee will engage with members and determine the next steps in the fight for the improvements nurses want to see.
“This vote is a powerful message that nurses expect more – not only for themselves, but for the patients and communities they serve,” said Gear. “Our members have spoken, and we will continue to fight for the changes nurses need to strengthen the profession and ensure British Columbians receive the care they deserve.”