Nurses and Health-Care Allies March in Downtown Vancouver in Show of Solidarity
More than 500 nurses and allied health-care workers filled the streets of downtown Vancouver on Thursday, sending a clear message to government and health employers on the eve of a historic strike vote: treat nurses with some respect.
The lunch-hour rally brought together members from across the province, alongside health-care allies and union leaders from the BC General Employees Union, Health Sciences Association and members from the Hospital Employees Union. President Linda Silas from the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions, Janet Hazelton from the Nova Scotia Nurses’ Union and Karen Kuprys, Second Vice-President of the United Nurses of Alberta, also joined the rally. The Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) is holding a province-wide strike vote from May 8–11. It marks the first time in a generation that more than 55,000 BCNU members will vote on potential job action.
The demonstration came just days after the NBA bargaining committee declared an impasse on April 20 and stepped away from negotiations with the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC), after months of stalled talks.
“Nurses are not taking this step lightly,” said BCNU President Adriane Gear. “This is about achieving a fair contract while continuing to prioritize patient care every step of the way. We have been at the bargaining table since October and have put forward real solutions to stabilize the health-care system.”
Gear said the employer has rejected the majority of proposals aimed at addressing workload, workplace violence, and occupational health and safety, while also seeking to roll back nurses’ benefits through arbitration.
“Benefits are not extras,” she told the crowd. “They are the supports that help you recover. At a time when nurses are holding this health-care system together – and at a time when recruitment and retention are critical – why would anyone think it’s acceptable to take anything away from nurses?”
Gear pointed to growing pressure on the health-care system, noting that injury claims across the health sector have risen sharply, with psychological injuries tripling in recent years.
BCNU Vice President Tristan Newby opened the rally by welcoming nurses and labour allies, underscoring the importance of solidarity as the profession faces a critical moment.
“We are here with one clear message: treat nurses with some respect,” Newby said, drawing cheers from the crowd. He welcomed the labour leaders, who all spoke and reinforced calls for safe staffing and respect at the bargaining table.
Gear closed the rally by urging members to unite as the strike vote approaches. “This is about more than a collective agreement,” she said. “It’s about whether nurses are supported to do the jobs they are trained to do, and whether this profession is treated with the respect it has earned.”