President's Message

Adriane Gear - President, BC Nurses' Union

Our Fight Continues

When I reflect on the past months, I am filled with pride for what nurses across BC have accomplished together. This round of bargaining has been unlike any other, and our collective strength has never been more evident.

After months of negotiations, nurses took province-wide job action in early July, sending a message to the employer that the status quo is no longer acceptable. For 23 days, members joined together to draw attention to the realities of working in today’s health-care system – unsafe workloads, workplace violence and the growing expectation that nurses take on duties that are not part of nursing.

What became the longest nursing strike in BC’s history was not easy. It required sacrifice, courage and an incredible commitment to one another and to our profession. Whether you participated directly on the picket line, refused non-nursing duties, supported colleagues, joined a rally or simply supported the work of your union, you played a part. Together, we forced the employer to stop ignoring nurses’ concerns.

On July 24, our job action concluded after the Nurses’ Bargaining Association accepted recommendations from mediators Amanda Rogers and Vince Ready. While this decision brought province-wide job action to an end, it has not ended our fight for a better collective agreement.

One of the most important outcomes of the recommendations is the opportunity to take our outstanding compensation issues to voluntary binding arbitration. Throughout bargaining, the employer insisted it could not move beyond the provincial government’s bargaining mandate.

Arbitration gives us an opportunity to make our case on its own merits, without the restriction of the “me-too” clause or that mandate. Our focus has been on preparing the strongest case for arbitration to secure the best contract possible for BC nurses.

But this round of bargaining was always about more than compensation. Our members made it clear that the conditions in which nurses work must change.

For years, nurses have raised concerns about non-nursing duties. These tasks take nurses away from the work they are trained and licensed to do, add to workload pressures and erode professional practice. The recommendations include a comprehensive review of the prevalence of nurses performing non-nursing duties. This is an important and, frankly, unprecedented opportunity to examine the problem and identify solutions.

The recommendations also include a province-wide review of violence in health care. This is a significant step forward. Nurses should never have to accept violence, threats or intimidation as simply part of the job. We have spent years shining a light on this issue, and our job action brought renewed attention to the urgent need for action.

These commitments did not happen by accident. They happened because nurses are united and refuse to accept that unsafe working conditions are the price of working in health care. However, a review is only meaningful if it leads to action, and commitments must translate into measurable improvements for nurses and patients. We will continue to hold government and employers accountable and ensure nurses’ voices remain at the centre of these conversations.

As we move into the next phase of this fight, I want every member to know that BCNU remains firmly focused on you, your profession and the future of public health care in BC. We have shown what is possible when more than 55,000 nurses join together. That strength will continue to guide us.

Thank you for speaking up and showing what solidarity looks like. Together, we will keep pushing for the respect, safety and investment nurses deserve.

In solidarity,