BC Nurses issue 72-hour strike notice
Union says job action could begin Thursday if no progress in talks over wages, staffing, benefits.
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The BC Nurses' Union issued a 72-hour strike notice Monday, meaning nurses across the province could legally begin job action starting Thursday, July 2 at noon if negotiations don't advance.
The notice comes after 67 per cent of unionized nurses rejected a tentative agreement reached May 22. The union has been negotiating a new collective agreement with the Health Employers Association of BC since the previous deal expired in March 2025.
Union president Adriane Gear said the province continues to spend millions on costly short-term staffing solutions while nurses struggle with workload pressures, unsafe working conditions, and staffing shortages.
The union's core demands include addressing benefits, general wages, retention, overtime, and nurse-to-patient ratios. Gear noted the province hasn't offered the additional two per cent of "enhanced mandate money" to improve working conditions that other public sector unions received, on top of the base three per cent wage increase.
Job action could range from working to rule — where nurses start and end shifts on time and take scheduled breaks — to banning non-nursing duties like answering phones, delivering meal trays, or cleaning stretchers. Information picket lines and overtime restrictions are also possible options.
The Health Employers Association of BC said it is available to continue negotiations, noting that returning to the bargaining table is the most effective way to resolve outstanding issues while minimizing impact on healthcare.
