B.C. nurses rally for workplace safety and staffing reforms as contract negotiations set to begin
State of health care and ER closures also sparked extensive discussions in the B.C. Legislature
Hundreds of nurses rallied in Vancouver on Thursday, calling for better working conditions, increased staffing, and safer workplaces, as negotiations for a new contract with B.C.'s health employers are about to begin.
The rally, organized by the B.C. Nurses' Union (BCNU) saw nurses from across the province march through downtown streets and gather outside the Vancouver Art Gallery, where union president Adriane Gear highlighted the challenges facing nurses.
"Many are leaving due to the working conditions," she told CBC News.
Gear says violence in health-care settings has reached alarming levels.
On average, 26 nurses a month in B.C. suffer a violent injury at work, according to the union.
"There are so many nurses that have left because of the working conditions," Gear added.
The nurses' rally is part of a larger push by the BCNU to establish key priorities ahead of collective bargaining with the Health Employers Association of B.C.
The current contract between nurses and provincial health employers expires on March 31, 2025.
Over the past few months, the BCNU has held regional meetings across the province to hear from nurses directly to establish "bargaining priorities."
Workplace violence, mental health challenges, and staffing shortages have emerged as top concerns, according to Gear.
The union president is calling on the province to invest in rural and remote staffing incentives, minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, and the use of trained relational security officers to manage violence incidents in health-care facilities.
"Nurses are the backbone of health care and … we need to retain them," she said.
Legislative debate over staffing shortages and ER closures
The nurses' rally coincided with heated discussions in the B.C. Legislature Thursday, where Opposition MLAs raised concerns about ongoing emergency room closures across the province.
Emergency departments in Burnslake, Merritt, Clearwater and Delta have recently faced closures, adding to sporadic ER shutdowns plaguing the province over the last year.
During question period, B.C. Conservative MLA for Surrey–White Rock Trevor Halford criticized the government's handling of the crisis, calling the closures "a damning indication of just how broken our system is."
MLA Cariboo -Chilcotin Lorne Doerkson also pressed the government on the issue.
"How many hours of travel are acceptable when an emergency room closes in rural British Columbia?" Doerkson asked.
For Elkford residents, in the province's East Kootenay region, the ER has been closed for two years, said Pete Davis, the B.C. Conservative MLA for Kootenay-Rockies.
Health Minister Josie Osborne stood each time to respond, recognizing the issue and promising additional support is on the way.
She pointed to the province's rural incentive program as one of the measures aimed at attracting health-care workers to underserved areas.
"We are providing bonuses for people who are living in small communities to attract more workers," Osborne said. "This is one example of the work we are doing to build up the health-care workforce."
The provincial budget, set to be tabled next week, is expected to shape the government's approach to health-care funding amid economic uncertainty and concerns over potential U.S. trade tariffs.
While acknowledging broader economic challenges, the nurses' union argues that a strong health-care system is essential to a strong economy.
"We cannot have a strong economy if we don't have an accessible, dependable health-care system," Gear said.
With files from Meera Bains and Jennifer Magher