B.C. nurses begin Bcnu Strike Vote over stalled talks
About 55,000 B.C. nurses began a bcnu strike vote on Friday after talks between their union and the province broke down. The vote runs from May 8 to May 11 and could set up legal job action if members back the move.
BC Nurses’ Union president Adriane Gear said she expects support for the bargaining committee. She told 1130 NewsRadio, “They understand the issues. And anecdotally, certainly the vibe is that people are in support of backing the bargaining committee, and I anticipate a strong strike vote response,”
BC Nurses’ Union talks
The union declared an impasse in April with the employer represented by the Health Employers’ Association of BC. It says it is seeking improved benefits and wage increases among about 140 bargaining proposals, after six months at the table.
Gear said the union has heard back on 65 of its proposals and only four have been accepted. “We’ve heard back on 65 of them; only four have been accepted. So after six months of being at the table, only being able to agree on four proposals is not progress. So that’s a concern,” she said.
Adriane Gear and David Eby
Gear said the unresolved issues also include workload, violence prevention and working conditions. “We want the opportunity to bargain, and then we need to have improved collaboration in terms of some of the other bargaining proposals that we have proposed and are not hearing positive responses on. These are proposals that relate to workload, violence prevention, improving the working conditions of nurses, which are the conditions of care. And so we need movement on all of those things.”
She said a strike would be an extraordinary step not taken in 25 years. “If that happens, that’s because the government has put us there. And so we are willing to return to the table, providing the employer is going to come to the table with a willingness to negotiate benefits to guarantee that we will have access to the same money as other public sector unions, and a willingness to work towards agreeing on bargaining proposals that will improve the working conditions of nurses and improve patient care.”
Premier David Eby said last week that he is confident the government will find a path forward with the union. “We will ensure that it is a respectful agreement that reflects the hard work that nurses do, and respectful of the financial position of the province and our ability to pay for those critical public services like health care,” he said. The vote now puts pressure on both sides to narrow the gap before members decide whether the union gets a strike mandate.
