This Labour Day, Let’s Recognize Nurses for Their Dedication to Safe Patient Care

Labour Day serves as a reminder of the invaluable contributions that workers make to their communities including nurses and health-care workers who continue to advocate for safe staffing and culturally safe and equitable care for all.

Nurses are the backbone of the health-care system, and they continue to provide safe patient care despite a critical nursing shortage and unsafe working conditions. In a province-wide radio message to nurses and British Columbians, President Adriane Gear thanks nurses for their commitment and advocacy.

Labour Day invites us to reflect on the principle of solidarity and the valuable contributions that workers have made to their communities. The rights that workers enjoy today were only achieved when people came together in solidarity to advance justice and fairness – both on the job and within society.

Our union’s commitment to solidarity requires that we act accordingly by giving voice to those whose voices have been excluded and by being open to differences of thought, ideas, and ways of being. This inclusive solidarity is one of BCNU’s core values, and it informs our vision and our work. It is a solidarity that considers the concerns of an increasingly diverse union membership and the care needs of an increasingly diverse population.

BC’s nurses are a dedicated, diverse and united voice for health care and social justice in this province. We are committed to building on a foundation of reflective solidarity to advocate for change and lift up the communities we serve.