President's Message

NURSES MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD

Members have spoken, and we heard them. The tentative agreement reached between the Nurses’ Bargaining Association’s Provincial Bargaining Committee and health employers has been rejected. This result sends a clear message to employers and the government that nurses are no longer willing to carry the weight of a strained health care system without meaningful improvements in compensation and working conditions.

Ratification is one of the most important democratic rights union members possess. Throughout this round of bargaining, nurses have consistently demanded respect and recognition for the vital role they play in our health-care system. By participating in this vote, members have provided clear direction to their bargaining committee and union leadership: more needs to be achieved.

I want to sincerely thank every member who took part in this process, especially those who completed the bargaining and benefits surveys, attended regional and provincial bargaining conferences and voted in our historic strike vote. Once a tentative agreement was reached, members took the time to review the agreement, attend a town hall, discuss it with colleagues, ask questions of the bargaining committee, and ultimately cast their ballots. Your participation reflects the commitment nurses have shown throughout this challenging round of bargaining.

I also want to recognize the members of the Provincial Bargaining Committee: nurses elected by the membership who worked tirelessly to advance the priorities identified by members and negotiate improvements in a highly constrained bargaining environment. Their efforts were guided by a single objective: securing the strongest possible agreement for nurses in British Columbia.

While the tentative agreement has not been ratified, one thing remains clear: members across this province have built extraordinary solidarity.

Today's result reflects the strength of that engagement and the importance members place on securing meaningful progress.

Nurses have been clear about the pressures they face every day: chronic understaffing, increasing workloads, expanding scope of practice, workplace violence, burnout and a health-care system that continues to ask too much of those providing care. This vote indicates that many nurses do not believe the tentative agreement went far enough in addressing those concerns.

The outcome must serve as a clear signal to employers and government that while nurses remain deeply committed to their residents, clients, patients, communities and to strengthening our health-care system, we will no longer do so without being properly valued, respected and supported.

The message from members is clear, and we intend to act on it. From June 19 - 22, members are asked to complete the Post-Ratification Vote survey to gather additional input on their bargaining priorities. I strongly encourage every member to take the time to complete it before it closes. The feedback will inform the bargaining committee’s next steps.

Nurses have delivered a clear mandate that more needs to be achieved. If employers and the government are serious about rebuilding trust and addressing the challenges facing the profession, then they must be prepared to do more. The need for action is now. Your bargaining committee is prepared and committed to fight alongside members for the meaningful change we deserve.

Regardless of today's outcome, the issues that brought nurses together remain unchanged. Nurses deserve safe workplaces, manageable workloads, competitive compensation, and the staffing levels necessary to provide the care British Columbians rely on. Those objectives continue to guide our work.

The collective strength, solidarity, determination, and engagement members demonstrated throughout this round of bargaining has been remarkable. Now, more than ever, nurses will need to be united to rise together in the weeks ahead.

Thank you for making your voice heard.

In solidarity,