Overview
- On Thursday nurses across British Columbia started targeted job action that stops non‑nursing duties and refuses non‑essential overtime to press employers for better conditions.
- The BC Nurses' Union issued a 72‑hour strike notice that made the job action lawful when the deadline expired at noon on July 2.
- Because nurses are legally designated an essential service the provincial Labour Relations Board has set minimum staffing levels to protect patient care during the action.
- The Health Employers Association of B.C. said negotiations will resume early next week while the union says it is ready to bargain but may escalate if the government does not change its mandate.
- The dispute stems from chronic staffing shortages, workplace safety concerns and pay issues highlighted by a May vote in which 98.2 percent backed job action and a later June vote that rejected a tentative deal by about 67 percent.