BC nurses reject tentative contract, demand better conditions
Two-thirds voted against a deal reached in May, citing workplace pressures and insufficient staffing.
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British Columbia's nurses have rejected a tentative labour agreement, with 67 per cent voting against the deal struck on May 22 between the Nurses' Bargaining Association and health employers.
The vote reflects what the BC Nurses' Union calls "growing frustration with pressures facing the nursing profession." Despite the agreement including additional funding for service delivery and improved working conditions, nurses made clear the terms fell short of what they need.
"For many nurses, this vote was about more than the terms of a collective agreement," said BCNU President Adriane Gear. "It is about having agency – about having the opportunity to make their voices heard and express their frustration, their tenacity and absolute resolve for change."
The rejection comes after nurses voted 98.2 per cent in May to authorize job action — one of the strongest bargaining mandates in Canadian labour history. Gear said nurses are experiencing "enormous pressures in their workplaces," working in "increasingly challenging environments" with insufficient staffing and resources.
"The public sees crowded emergency departments, long waits for care and the challenges facing our health-care system," Gear said. "Nurses experience those pressures every shift."
The Health Employers Association of B.C. said it "respects" the rejection and remains available to continue negotiations. The NBA bargaining unit plans to engage members in coming days to determine next steps.