BC nurses pause Vancouver General Hospital picket as province appoints mediators
Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside appointed veteran mediators Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers to help resolve the dispute between health employers and the BC Nurses' Union.
The day's top stories, food & events — every morning at 7. Unsubscribe anytime.
The BC Nurses' Union has paused its picket line at Vancouver General Hospital, which came down at 7 p.m. July 9. Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside appointed veteran labour mediator Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers as special mediators in the dispute between the Health Employers Association of B.C. and the union.
Medians will stay in contact with both sides for 10 days to attempt to find a mutually agreeable solution. If no agreement is reached, they will submit recommendations to the minister and both parties on how to resolve the dispute.
BCNU president Adriane Gear called the appointment "a positive development," though she noted there's "no indication that the government is moving off their imposed mandate." Gear said the union first learned of the appointment through news outlets rather than directly from the government, calling the process "frustrating."
The union remains prepared to continue job action "as long as it takes," Gear said, emphasizing that nurses remain united and have received strong support from other health-care unions, labour organizations, and members of the public. Supporters have gathered at picket lines leaving food and coffee and expressing support with honks and messages.
More picket lines are scheduled across Vancouver Island. Picketing is set to start at Victoria General Hospital on Sunday, July 12, Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on Monday, July 13, and Royal Jubilee Hospital and the South Island Surgical Centre on Tuesday, July 14. Essential services will remain operational during job action. The Surrey Memorial Hospital picket line remains in place.
