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Nurses union, B.C. employer reach tentative agreement after strong strike vote

Click to play video: 'BC nurses vote 98.2% in favour of a strike'
BC nurses vote 98.2% in favour of a strike
The BC Nurses' Union says its members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of job action. Negotiations broke down between the union and the province in April after six months of bargaining. Ben O'Hara-Byrne has the details. – May 12, 2026

A tentative contract agreement has been reached between the union representing about 60,000 nurses in British Columbia and their provincial employer.

The deal comes after members of the BC Nurses’ Union voted this month more than 98 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary, more than a year after their last agreement expired.

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The union says in a news release that the deal includes a general wage increase of 12 per cent over four years, improvements to benefits, workplace safety measures and provisions for better work conditions.

The release says it has also negotiated an agreement with the Ministry of Health, securing “significant additional funding” toward the implementation of minimum nurse-to-patient ratios across the province.

The union says a vote on ratification is scheduled from June 15 to 19.

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The province says additional details on the deal will be made public after ratification is complete on both the employer’s side and the nurses’ side.

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