Picket lines expanded to Vancouver Island on July 12 as the British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU) intensified job action after bargaining with health employers reached another impasse.
Union members began picketing outside Victoria General Hospital early Sunday morning, with additional job action planned at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and Royal Jubilee Hospital.
In an address to a large crowd of nurses waving flags and ringing bells outside the hospital, union president Adriane Gear said the union expanded the strike after negotiations stalled. She called on the provincial government to give health employers a bargaining mandate that would allow for meaningful negotiations.
“No nurse wants to be here on this picket line; we would much rather be in that building behind me, providing care to our patients,” said Gear, pointing to Victoria General Hospital, where she started her nursing career 33 years ago.
Gear said nurses had bargained in good faith while maintaining essential services to protect patient safety, but argued the province had the power to end the dispute by giving employers greater flexibility at the bargaining table.
“It reminds us that this fight is more than about one profession,” she said. “It’s about protecting our public healthcare system and ensuring those who provide the care are treated with the respect that they deserve.”
The union also said it had received more than 2,300 reports from members alleging intimidation, coercion and threats for refusing non-nursing duties since July 2. It said the reports included threats of discipline, warnings of potential complaints to the BC College of Nurses and Midwives and pressure to perform non-nursing duties or mandatory overtime.
“Nurses continue to show up because that’s what nurses do,” said Gear.
“But we cannot continue to carry the weight of a system that isn’t investing in us. A system that is not supporting us. A system that is not respecting us.”
The BCNU said it had filed an unfair labour practice application with the BC Labour Relations Board over the allegations.
Essential services remained in place throughout the job action, with the union saying urgent and emergency care would continue while picket lines were active.
“A fair resolution depends on the government providing a bargaining mandate that gives both parties the ability to reach an agreement that recognizes nurses’ contributions, addresses the challenges facing our healthcare system, and delivers the meaningful improvements nurses have been demanding,” said Gear.
“We are ready to get back to work, but we need government and health employers to meet us with meaningful action.”