2019-2022 Nurses' Contract Effective April 1

The Nurses' Bargaining Association (NBA) provincial collective agreement begins April 1, 2019 ushering in new language that will have a positive impact on nurses' working lives and their ability to provide safe patient care.

"This three-year agreement honours nurses' professional autonomy and shifts the relationship between nurses and their employers towards a more collaborative approach to problem solving," says BCNU President Christine Sorensen. "As President of BCNU, I am proud to steward our union toward a future that includes nurses' voices in decision making, and recognizes the value of nurses in the delivery of safe patient care."

Wage Increase For All

BCNU members covered by the NBA contract will receive a 2% wage increase for each year of the contract, starting the first pay period following April 1. This, in addition to the 1.75% wage increase received in February, brings the total wage increase for nurses to 3.75% in 2019.

LPN members will now see their wage schedules fully incorporated into the nine-step wage grid which will deliver an 8.3% wage increase for those members who reach the top step by April 1, 2021. LPN members who are at Years 1 and 2 of the wage grid will receive a retention payment of up to $487.50 annually, to be pro-rated based on hours worked.

One Complete Contract

The union and health employers are committed to proceeding with joint contract implementation, starting by honouring the promise to publish the collective agreement as one complete book, and make it available to each and every member. An electronic version will be available online April 1 and members will begin receiving printed copies shortly thereafter.

BCNU and HEABC will also be issuing a series of documents that clarify the intent and application of key language in the new agreement. The following joint interpretation documents will be made available to members on the BCNU website starting April 1:

• Managing the Professional Responsibility Process
• Managing Staffing Grievances
• Elimination of 6-day rotations
• Article 18.08 (D) – relief at higher or lower positions
• Paid end-of-shift handover

Contract implementation updates will be published on www.bcnu.org and communicated to the membership through eNews to their personal email addresses.