b.c. nurses could be on strike this week after issuing 72-hour notice
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bc nurses union president adriane gear speaks at a rally in vancouver, bc wednesday, may 28.
jason payne
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b.c. nurses are poised to go on strike thursday, after issuing 72-hour strike notice earlier this week.
the strike notice comes after 67 per cent of members voted to reject a tentative agreement that was reached in may. that agreement came only after 98.2 per cent of members had voted in favour of potential job action, forcing both the employer and the nurses bargaining association back to the bargaining table earlier this spring.
the parties had been bargaining since october 2025.
“this is fundamentally a conversation about priorities,” said b.c. nurses’ union president adriane gear.
“nurses want to know why the health authorities continue to spend millions of dollars on costly short-term staffing solutions, while the nurses who are here for the long-term struggling with workload pressures, unsafe working conditions and staffing shortages are being told the cupboards are empty.”
the bargaining association represents more than 60,000 nurses in hospitals, long-term care, community and public health, and other settings across the province. the union said more than 50,000 nurses turned out for the strike vote between may 8 to 11.
according to the union, while the tentative agreement included bumps to benefits and shift premiums, membership felt it fell short in terms of a general wage increase.
the rejected agreement had offered a 12 per cent wage increase over four years, as well as additional funding to improve minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.
“this is not a step b.c. nurses want to take,” said chief negotiator jim gould. “however, many have reached the point where they feel they have no choice but to shine a light on the realities they face every day while caring for british columbians in crowded hospitals, understaffed long-term care facilities, community health settings and patient’s homes across the province.”
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it is unknown if additional bargaining dates have been scheduled since the strike notice was issued.
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