President's Message

TOGETHER WE RISE

As we enter a pivotal year for nursing in BC, I want to reflect on our accomplishments and the challenges that lie ahead. Every day, nurses rise to meet the demands of a health-care system under immense pressure – through it all, our strength has come from working together.

Bargaining with the Nurses’ Bargaining Association remains our top priority. These negotiations are unfolding amid economic uncertainty and broad geopolitical pressures on public sector bargaining. While these external pressures create real challenges, our focus has not wavered. We are fighting for safe and sustainable working conditions for nurses and accountability from government and health employers. This includes protecting the benefits that nurses have earned. Our goal is clear: a collective agreement that supports nurses and strengthens public health care.  

Alongside bargaining, we continue to push for the full implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. Ratios are not just numbers – they are the foundation of safe staffing, better patient care and a workplace where nurses can practise with professionalism and pride.

Over the past year, I have had the privilege of speaking with nurses at their worksites about their working conditions, their bargaining priorities and how ratios are rolling out. I’ve heard encouraging stories from units where ratios are now in place, and conditions are beginning to improve. Those conversations matter, and they continue to guide our advocacy.

Workplace violence remains a critical issue. That is why we’ve renewed our Violence. Still Not Part of the Job campaign. Nurses should never face threats, intimidation or abuse while doing their jobs – yet far too many do. Through new videos and member stories, we are shining a light on the challenges nurses face – and the courage and dedication that define nursing.

Looking ahead, this spring brings important opportunities to connect and lead. The BCNU Practice Conference in March will foster learning and professional growth, while our annual Convention will celebrate our solidarity and chart the course for the year ahead. This year’s theme – Together We Rise – is a call to action. It reminds us that the challenges we face, from staffing pressures to workplace violence, are best met when we remain united.

As we look ahead, we must prepare for the possibility of job action. Being ready, informed and united is the foundation of our demand for a collective agreement that ensures our benefits, improves our working conditions and values us for what we bring to the health-care system. 
In May, members will take part in BCNU’s general election for senior leadership, an opportunity to shape the union’s direction and ensure that our leadership reflects the voices, needs and priorities of members.

Finally, I want to acknowledge that we are a collective profession, made up of nurses from all walks of life. Nurses come from every corner of the world, and many have family, friends and colleagues who are directly impacted by the distressing and often devastating events unfolding around us. When violence touches our profession – whether it’s unsafe working conditions in health-care settings in BC, the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti in Minnesota or the tragic loss of life in Tumbler Ridge, it affects us deeply. In moments like these, we must support one another so that we can continue to provide safe, compassionate care to the patients and communities who rely on us.
 
By lifting each other up, sharing our voices and taking action when it matters most, we will continue to build a stronger, safer and more sustainable health-care system. Together, we rise.

In solidarity,

Adriane Gear
President, BC Nurses' Union