BC Nurses' Union votes against tentative agreement, expresses 'growing frustration'
Nearly a month after the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBC) and BC’s Health Employers reached a tentative agreement, nurses voted to reject it.
On June 19, the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) published a press release stating that 67 per cent of nurses were against the agreement, which was originally reached on May 22.
The union said the vote reflects “growing frustration with pressures facing the nursing profession.”
In a release that B.C.’s Ministry of Finance sent out on May 22, it stated that the Health Employers Association (HEABC) and the NBA’s tentative agreement included additional funding for service delivery and to improve working conditions for nurses.
It didn’t disclose details, saying they would be available after the ratification process.
“For many nurses, this vote was about more than the terms of a collective agreement,” said BCNU President and Chair of the Provincial Bargaining Committee Adriane Gear, in the release.
“It is about having agency – about having the opportunity to make their voices heard and express their frustration, their tenacity and absolute resolve for change. Nurses care deeply about their patients and their profession, but they are also telling us that the conditions they are working under cannot continue.”
The release adds that nurses are facing “enormous pressures in their workplaces,” like providing care in “increasingly challenging environments.” It said they often do not have sufficient staffing, resources, and support that they need to meet patient care needs.
“The public sees crowded emergency departments, long waits for care and the challenges facing our health-care system,” said Gear. “Nurses experience those pressures every shift.”
The BCNU said the NBA bargaining unit will engage members in the coming days to determine their next steps.
Before the tentative agreement was reached, Gear had previously told Daily Hive they were negotiating better benefits and ‘enhanced mandate money’ to improve working conditions.
In response to our request for comment about why the vote was rejected, the BCNU said it couldn’t offer additional details at this time.
“I’m sorry we can’t provide more at this time, but we’ll share further information and updates on next steps when they become available,” said a BCNU spokesperson.
“For years, nurses have carried the weight of chronic staffing shortages, rising patient acuity and increasingly difficult working conditions while continuing to deliver safe, high-quality care,” an additional news release from the BCNU said.
We also heard from HEABC after the agreement was rejected.
“HEABC respects the Nurses’ Bargaining Association members’ decision to reject the tentative agreement. HEABC continues to be available to meet with the Nurses’ Bargaining Association at the bargaining table and we are prepared to continue negotiations to address the issues that both parties believe are important.”