British Columbia nurses issue 72‑hour strike notice

The British Columbia Nurses’ Union, representing roughly 60,000 nurses, filed a 72‑hour strike notice with the B.C. Labour Relations Board on June 29, 2026. The notice gives the union legal authority to begin job action at noon on July 2 if a new agreement is not reached.

Union president Adriane Gear said 98.2% of members voted in favour of job action and 67% rejected the tentative collective agreement that offered a 12% wage increase over four years. The union cites over 4,500 vacancies, frequent workplace violence – one nurse filing a WorkSafeBC claim every 16 hours – and burnout as reasons for the “breaking point.” Gear criticized the provincial government for spending half‑a‑billion on private‑agency nursing and hundreds of millions on the 2026 World Cup while health care needs are overlooked.

Health Minister Josie Osborne affirmed the right to collective bargaining, stating essential services will be maintained and “people will continue to get the health care they need.” The union warned that job action could include overtime bans or withdrawal of non‑essential services.