‘Defining moment’: BC nurses vote 98.2% in favour of strike

The BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) says the results of their strike vote sends a clear message to the government and employers.

“This vote is a defining moment,” explains BCNU president Adriane Gear. “Nurses across British Columbia are demanding the respect, safety and fair contract they deserve.”

The strike vote took place between May 8-11 and the results were released today – more than 50,000 nurses have voted 98.2% in favour of job action.

The BCNU calls it a “powerful and historic mandate” that underscores the urgency of securing a fair collective bargaining agreement.

According to the union, nurses have put forward many solutions to address the quality of patient care in BC over the past six months of bargaining, only to have them rejected by the Health Employers Association of BC.

Issues at the forefront include crushing workloads, unsafe staffing levels, workplace violence, and occupational health and safety concerns.

The Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) declared impasse on April 20 after formal negotiations broke down.

Gear says nurses “don’t want to be in this position,” but are prepared to fight for a healthcare system that is “safe, sustainable and able to retain the nurses that patients rely on.”

“Nurses need a contract that respects the critical role they play in keeping this healthcare system running,” she notes.

“This is about securing the best possible contract that will retain and recruit the nurses the system needs now and in the future. Now is not the time to take away from nurses.”

The results of this vote don't mean that nurses will strike imminently, but they’re now legally allowed to take some form of job action after giving 72 hours notice.

An email update sent to nurses today said that the NBA will invite the employer back to the bargaining table as early as this afternoon.