BC Nurses Union rallies in Burnaby ahead of contracts negotiations

Dozens of health-care workers rallied in Burnaby Tuesday, making their demands loud and clear ahead of the provincial contract negotiations set to begin next year.

Adriane Gear, president of the BC Nurses’ Union, says their demands are simple.

“Nurses, they deserve the same respect and safety as any other British Columbian that goes to work each and every day,” said Gear.

The top concern among nurses continues to be physical safety, with workers saying they’re constantly exposed to aggressive patients and illicit drugs. 

“I’ve seen nurses being spat on, punched, kicked,” explained Claudette Jut, a regional council member for BC Children’s Hospital. 

“They’ve had equipment in the room used as weapons against them… They’ve been harmed in the course of their work. So whether that’s exposure to illicit drug use or violence and any kind of aggression; they’re going off and not being able to return safely to their families.”

The union is calling on the province to hire more nurses to maintain the current staff-to-patient ratio and improve overall morale within the profession.

“What we’ve negotiated — hasn’t been implemented yet — is one nurse to a maximum of four patients, 24/7. I can tell you that there’s examples around this province of one nurse caring for 15 patients… Unless the conditions of work are improved, it will undermine minimum nurse-patient ratios. We can go ahead and recruit nurses to this beautiful province, but if people don’t feel valued, respected or safe, they’re not going to stay,” said Gear.

The collective agreements between the union and provincial health employers are set to expire on March 31, 2025. Regional bargaining conferences are happening this week and next, with the aim to lay out key issues.

“Nurses are united, and we’re tired of being passed over. Why is our welfare, our security, less valuable than somebody else’s?”

In a statement to The Leader Spirit, B.C. Health Minister Josie Osborne says hospital safety for staff is a priority for this government, and says it’s taking significant actions to recruit, train and retain nurses in the province.