B.C. nurses strike: Action begins with overtime ban, refusal of non-nursing duties

Nurses from around B.C. held a rally in February 2025 demanding the provincial government and health authorities address chronic and escalating issues such as workplace violence, unsafe working conditions and critical staffing shortages. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO /PNG

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B.C. nurses are on strike.

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Nurses across the province began targeted strike action Thursday with a ban on non-essential overtime and a refusal to perform non-nursing duties, after a 72-hour strike notice expired this week.

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The limited strike comes after 67 per cent of members voted to reject a tentative agreement that was reached in May. The agreement came only after the Health Employers Association and the Nurses Bargaining Association were forced back to the bargaining table due to a strike vote that saw 98.2 per cent of members voting in favour of taking job action.

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The parties had been bargaining since October 2025.

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B.C. Nurses’ Union president Adriane Gear said “this is not the outcome nurses wanted.”

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“Throughout this process, nurses have been clear about what is needed to strengthen the profession and stabilize our health care system,” she said in a statement.

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“We have remained ready to bargain in good faith, but the government has not responded with the urgency this moment demands.”

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The overtime ban and refusal to perform non-nursing duties is “the first phase of a broader escalation plan” the BCNU expects to roll out if bargaining does not resume.

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“Nurses do not want to disrupt patient care. Every action we take is guided by our commitment to the people and communities we serve,” said Gear, noting that the limited strike action is intended to prioritize patient care “while sending a clear message to government.”

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More than 50,000 nurses participated in the strike vote in early May. The bargaining association represents more than 60,000 nurses in hospitals, long-term care, community and public health, and other settings across the province.

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The rejected proposal offered a 12 per cent wage increase over four years and additional funding to improve minimum nurse-to-patient ratios. However, members felt it still fell short of a general wage increase.

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