Nurses

Appendix U.1 and the Vince Ready deadline Last Friday, January 30, marked the deadline set out in Labour Arbitrator Vince Ready’s interim order. That order required the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) and health employers to agree on a date by which one of the two Appendix U.1 benefit options would be selected and implemented. The NBA has refused to agree...

As we enter a critical year for nurses across the province, bargaining is front and centre. Following a week of preparation, NBA bargaining resumed this week. The bargaining committee met with health employers at the joint table for the first time in the new year, alongside ongoing small table discussions. On Monday, the NBA bargaining committee tabled its main package...

Programs slated to expire this month extended — again — thanks to union advocacy Despite the BC government’s moves to dramatically restrain spending on programs including health care, incentives for recruitment and retention of health science professionals will be extended to March 31, 2026, while your union continues to advocate for more supports to reduce shortages and workload. The Ministry...

For more than a decade, health employers have argued that benefit costs represent a growing share of total compensation. That position has repeatedly surfaced at the bargaining table and in 2019, the parties agreed to cost-savings measures set out in Appendix U.1, creating an obligation for members to choose between two options: the creation of an enhanced flex benefits account...

We're sending this bulletin to update RPNs on this spring's new supplemental health benefits for RPNs. This funding was negotiated with the provincial government as part of your union’s ongoing work to provide greater support for RPNs, especially those dealing with the impact of significant shortages and excessive workload. Over the lifetime of the fund, it will provide up to...

Nominations are now being accepted for the following designated steward-at-large position working at PHC. Any HSA member covered by the NBA collective agreement working at PHC is eligible to run for the position. NBA steward-at-large will be compensated by the employer at their regular rate of pay. Under the terms of a memorandum of agreement for a pilot project reached...

Nominations are now being accepted for the following designated Steward-at-Large position working at FHA. Any HSA member covered by the NBA collective agreement working at FHA is eligible to run for the position. NBA Steward-at-Large will be compensated by the employer at their regular rate of pay. Under the terms of a memorandum of agreement for a pilot project reached...

With the provincial budget deficit now over $11 billion, and the government looking to find savings through a review of programs, money is increasingly tight in BC. But in recognition of the importance of tackling shortages affecting nurses, the Ministry of Health has agreed to extend initiatives launched last year to increase recruitment in rural communities and difficult-to-fill roles in...

Starting today (April 1, 2025), a new Mental Health Support Fund will be in place to help HSA members covered under the Nurses Bargaining Association (NBA) collective agreement. This funding was negotiated with the BC government as part of your union’s ongoing work to provide greater support for RPNs, especially those dealing with the impact of significant shortages and excessive...

BC Health Minister Josie Osborne and Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry this morning announced the end of viral respiratory infection season, and the removal of the requirement for continuous masking in direct patient care areas. While the mask policy is rescinded, other infection control practices remain in place: Masking and use of other personal protective equipment will continue to...