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Members of the B.C. Nurses’ Union (BCNU) have voted to reject a tentative labour agreement with the province that was announced last month.
In a statement, the BCNU said 67 per cent of those who voted on the deal turned it down.
The nurses earlier voted 98.2 per cent in favour of strike action due to stalled contract talks with the Health Employers’ Association, which represents the province as the employer in this instance.
In the BCNU’s Friday statement, union president Adriane Gear said the vote demonstrated that nurses cared deeply about their patients and profession, but that their working conditions could not continue unchanged.
“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,” Gear said.
The BCNU said its bargaining committee would talk to its members to determine the next steps in the contract dispute. Its last agreement with the province expired in March 2025.
When the tentative deal was announced, the union said it would have provided improved benefits coverage, workplace safety and violence prevention and provided access to “enhanced mandate monies” — on top of the province’s general wage increase of 12 per cent over four years.
The union said at the time it had negotiated an agreement with the province for “significant” additional funding for the implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
B.C. became the first province in Canada to commit to nurse-to-patient ratios in 2024.
The Health Employers Association of B.C. (HEABC) said in a statement that it would work with the union to address outstanding issues and get an agreement.
“HEABC continues to be available to meet with the Nurses’ Bargaining Association at the bargaining table and we are prepared to continue negotiations to address the issues that both parties believe are important,” a spokesperson wrote.
A statement from Health Minister Josie Osborne said recent agreements with the Doctors of B.C., Health Sciences Association and the Hospital Employees’ Union show that the most sustainable contracts were reached through collective bargaining.
She said the province respected the need for both the BCNU and the Health Employers Association to have the time needed to continue discussions.
“We remain hopeful that the Nurses’ Bargaining Association and the Health Employers Association will continue working together at the bargaining table and ultimately reach an agreement,” she said.
Nurses in B.C. have voted 98 per cent in favour of job action following a strike vote. The B.C. Nurses’ Union said more than 50,000 of its members cast ballots after talks with their employer broke down last month. Union president Adriane Gear said nurses are struggling with burn out and violence.
