President's Message

COMING TOGETHER FOR SAFETY AND FAIRNESS

After more than a year of preparations, we have finally begun. Oct. 21 marked the start of negotiations between the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) and health employers for a new provincial collective agreement. We began talks by reminding employers of the alarming rise in violence against nurses as a stark example of a health-care system in crisis – and one that continues to fail both nurses and patients. BCNU’s position is firm and unwavering: nurses deserve a fair contract that restores safety, and respect. Read our NBA Bargaining Update behind the BCNU Member Portal for more details of these opening talks.

It is critical that governments understand that improving working conditions is essential to keeping nurses in the system and attracting new ones into the profession. I was proud to join BCNU council members and regional lobbyists in Victoria on Oct. 23, as we met with MLAs from across party lines to deliver an urgent message that can’t be ignored: violence in health care – and a lack of meaningful action from government and health authorities – continues to drive nurses away from the profession they love, and is standing in the way of retaining and recruiting the nurses we need to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

Every day I hear from members who tell me they’re exhausted, overextended, and too often find themselves in work in environments where they don’t feel safe. The human toll of this crisis is immense. When nurses leave, it’s not because they’ve stopped caring – it’s because they feel the system has stopped caring for them. Our group shared this reality with Premier David Eby, Conservative Party leader John Rustad, Green Party Leader Emily Lowan, and dozens of MLAs from constituencies across BC and explained that implementing minimum nurse-to-patient ratios isn’t optional – it’s a necessary step toward ensuring both patient and worker safety. Safer workplaces are not just a promise to nurses – they are a promise to every British Columbian who depends on our care.  

Our advocacy doesn’t stop at the provincial level. On Oct. 17, BCNU joined Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions leaders from across the country at a policy meeting with Canada’s health ministers in Calgary, where the focus was growing violence against nurses. No matter where nurses work—in BC, Alberta, or across the country – our experiences are strikingly similar. But so is our determination. Nurses everywhere are standing up for their safety, their dignity, and their right to provide care in environments that support them. Together, we are driving change, and BCNU is proud to be part of that national movement for respect and reform.

Members who have taken the time to complete our NBA bargaining survey have had real impact. Your experiences, your voices, and your stories are shaping this process every step of the way. Please continue to stay engaged and watch for regular updates as bargaining continues. We know this round of bargaining will not be easy. It will take strength, unity, and the collective determination of every member to achieve the change we need. But nurses have never shied away from standing up for what’s right – especially when it comes to protecting our patients, our colleagues, and our profession.

That’s why solidarity matters – now, more than ever. As we enter this critical round of negotiations, I want to express BCNU’s full solidarity with the tens of thousands of BCGEU and PEA members currently walking the picket line. When workers come together – whether it’s nurses, clerical staff, community health workers, or any other sector – our collective voice is stronger. Together, we can and will win the changes needed to make our workplaces safer and our futures more secure. 

In solidarity,

Adriane Gear
President, BC Nurses' Union