B.C. nurses rejected a 12% raise. The number underneath says why.
Kelly Burns, a member of a new all-volunteer Vancouver Island group coordinating the manufacture of critically needed medical supplies (Courtesy of Kelly Burns). (file photo)
B.C.'s 60,000 nurses voted 67% to reject a tentative contract that would have raised wages 12% over four years.
The deal was struck May 22 under threat of strike action that 98.2% of voting members had backed. Union president Adriane Gear said members are telling her that "the conditions they are working under cannot continue," pointing to thousands of vacancies and the union's push for nurse-to-patient ratios. The last contract expired in March 2025, and the union says it will talk to members about next steps.
The staffing strain shows up downstream too. A survey released the same week by Doctors of B.C. and Consultant Specialists of B.C. found specialist waitlists grew 10% in 2025 alone, with 1.2 million British Columbians waiting to see a specialist in 2024, up from one million two years earlier. In cardiology, neurology and orthopedics, waits top 12 months; dermatologists told the Times Colonist some non-urgent patients wait 18 to 24 months.
Nearly 5% of specialists who responded have closed their practices to new referrals, and another 36% have partly closed or are considering it within the year. Health Minister Josie Osborne said she respects the nurses' vote and that improving specialist access is a priority. A waitlist-management plan negotiated with the province has yet to be implemented.
