THE BC Nurses’ Union is meeting with MLAs from across party lines on Thursday to drive home the message that violence in health care – and the failure of government and health authorities to take meaningful action – is standing in the way of retaining and recruiting the nurses needed to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios across the province.

“We’re here to ensure every MLA — regardless of political stripe — understands the reality facing nurses on the front lines,” says BCNU President Adriane Gear. “We need all-party support to make violence prevention and safe staffing a real priority for health authorities and the government.”

This event marks the launch of BCNU’s new “Violence. Still Not Part of the Job campaign,” a renewed effort building on a 2017 initiative that also drew widespread attention to the issue. Eight years later, with violence still a daily reality in BC’s health-care system, the union is presenting a list of violence prevention measures to both government and health authorities, created directly from the perspective of frontline nurses.

“These recommendations reflect not only our members’ lived experiences, but also their professional expertise in building safer workplaces,” says Gear. “Nurses are being assaulted, threatened, and traumatized at work. If the violence is never addressed, we simply won’t have the workforce we need to deliver minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

“Nurses know what the problems are. Nurses also have solutions. It is time to listen to them.”

Today’s meetings follow the opening of negotiations for a new Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) collective agreement earlier this week, where safer working conditions and addressing systemic violence are key issues for nurses at the bargaining table.

In his opening remarks, BCNU CEO and Chief Negotiator Jim Gould painted a stark picture of the growing crisis in BC’s health-care system. He emphasized that health employers’ spending on private nursing agencies amid ongoing staff shortages underscores the urgent need for change. “It’s time for change, and it starts here at this table,” said Gould.

Gear, who also serves as chair of the NBA provincial bargaining committee, emphasized the opportunity to address these issues in this round, saying, “together, we can work hard to negotiate a collective agreement that respects nurses and acknowledges nurses for what we bring to the health-care system.”

Members of the NBA provincial bargaining committee shared powerful stories from the front lines – of exhaustion, fear, and nurses’ unwavering commitment to care – demanding real action to ensure safe workplaces for nurses and patients across BC.