Contract provisions to ensure safe patient care and advance the profession of nursing require continued collaboration

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Nurses covered by the Provincial Collective Agreement have voted 85 percent in favour of accepting the contract negotiated last month by the Nurses' Bargaining Association led by the BC Nurses' Union.

BCNU president Gayle Duteil says, "Once again nurses have demonstrated their strong support for contract provisions that seek to improve care for patients. I have also heard from hundreds of nurses in this ratification vote process that they expect the employers and the government to work hard to implement the contract. I want to thank BC's nurses for their vote of confidence in our team and will make sure that we do our part to ensure promises are kept."

This new comprehensive five-year agreement unites all nurses, LPNs, RNs and RPNs, across all sectors, including community. Major issues that directly impact patient care will be addressed through a number of mechanisms, including an expedited grievance and arbitration process and a new Nurse Staffing Secretariat. The effective utilization of contract language and education funds aimed at ensuring there are enough nurses to care for patients will require ongoing commitment from all parties.

In addition, this agreement greatly advances the profession of nursing by giving nurses a stronger voice in the shaping of health care policy. Much needed progress will be made in establishing a culture of safety with a new provincial framework for violence prevention and safety improvements.

Some assistance is provided for rural areas in BC that struggle to recruit and retain nurses. A $2-million fund overseen by a joint commission could provide grants for things such as housing assistance and tuition relief in order to make jobs more attractive to nurses. New language to protect nurses' job security has been achieved in order to ensure nurses are protected in the shift of care from acute to community.

This agreement greatly improves nurses' prescription drugs benefits and provides for modest increases in compensation. It acknowledges the needs of nurses and their families, with increased paternity leave and some special leave provisions for nurses to assist an immediate family member with a serious or potentially life-threatening illness.

"This agreement is a comprehensive one, designed to improve safe patient care, nurses' working conditions and advance the profession of nursing. It has been a long time coming and I truly believe if we all work hard to implement this agreement, that health care for British Columbians will improve over time," says Duteil.

A summary of this agreement can be found in a special online version of the BC Nurses' Union Update Magazine​.

Contact: Catherine Pope, BCNU Communications, 604-313-7412