B.C. nurses are poised to go on strike Thursday, after issuing 72-hour strike notice earlier this week. The strike notice comes after 67 per cent of members voted to reject a tentative agreement that was reached in May. That agreement came only after 98.2 per cent of members had voted in favour of potential job action, forcing both the employer and the Nurses Bargaining Association back to the bargaining table earlier this spring.
Background to the Strike
The parties had been bargaining since October 2025. The rejected agreement had offered a 12 per cent wage increase over four years, as well as additional funding to improve minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. According to the BCNU, while the tentative agreement included bumps to benefits and shift premiums, membership felt it fell short in terms of a general wage increase.
The NBA represents more than 60,000 nurses in hospitals, long-term care, community and public health, and other settings across the province. The BCNU said more than 50,000 nurses turned out for the strike vote between May 8 to 11.
Union Leadership Statements
“This is fundamentally a conversation about priorities,” said B.C. Nurses’ Union president Adriane Gear. “Nurses want to know why the health authorities continue to spend millions of dollars on costly short-term staffing solutions, while the nurses who are here for the long-term struggling with workload pressures, unsafe working conditions and staffing shortages are being told the cupboards are empty.”
“This is not a step B.C. nurses want to take,” said chief negotiator Jim Gould. “However, many have reached the point where they feel they have no choice but to shine a light on the realities they face every day while caring for British Columbians in crowded hospitals, understaffed long-term care facilities, community health settings and patient’s homes across the province.”
Impact and Next Steps
It is unknown if additional bargaining dates have been scheduled since the strike notice was issued. Postmedia has reached out to the BCNU and the Health Employers Association of B.C. The strike is expected to affect hospital operations, long-term care facilities, and community health services across British Columbia.
