NBA Bargaining Update: Arbitrator Vince Ready Issues Order Regarding NBA Benefits

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, or the introduction of a reimbursement limit on massage therapy.

As members were advised in our Oct. 14 bargaining update, health employers notified the Nurses’ Bargaining Association (NBA) that they intended to enforce the Jan. 1, 2026 deadline set out in Appendix U.2 and chose to move the issue into arbitration, ahead of completing negotiations at the bargaining table alongside wages, staffing, safety, and workload.

At an October hearing date with Labour Arbitrator Vince Ready, the NBA put forward detailed submissions, making it clear that we are prepared to fight the employer’s assertion that this issue is not a bargaining issue. The NBA made strong arguments against the employer’s application, explaining why decisions that directly affect nurses’ benefits must be negotiated, transparently and collectively, at the bargaining table. Health employers, however, have continued to insist on using arbitration to force a decision in an attempt to initiate cost savings despite this being a live issue in bargaining, undermining our ability to use our collective strength and power at the table.

Yesterday, Arbitrator Ready issued an order directing the NBA and health employers to set a new date to select and implement a benefits plan model. The deadline to do this is Jan. 30, 2026. If the parties cannot agree on that date, the arbitrator will determine one following submissions to him.

Read the Arbitrator's Orders here

This order matters because it reflects the employer’s continued effort to implement historical cost-saving measures of Appendix U.1; measures the membership no longer supports and is seeking to alter at the bargaining table. The NBA’s position is clearly informed by the membership: improving benefits that nurses rely on is the number one issue for members. Pushing benefit reductions while the system remains short thousands of nurses risks further worsening recruitment and retention strategies across British Columbia at a time when these efforts should be prioritized in order to meet provincial efforts to implement minimum nurse-to-patient ratios.

Since 2019, when Appendix U.1 was negotiated, the realities of nursing have changed dramatically. Workplace violence has increased, staffing shortages have deepened, and injury rates continue to rise. Increased use of benefits is not abuse - it is a direct consequence of unsafe and unsustainable working conditions. In our recent NBA benefits survey, nurses sent a clear message: they do not accept being forced to choose between reduced benefit options and expect their union to push back.

The NBA provincial bargaining committee is committed to aggressively advancing members’ interest, challenging the employer’s approach using every tool available, consistent with the strong mandate members have provided.

The NBA will continue to challenge the employer’s approach and defend nurses’ benefits. Members will continue to receive timely updates as this process unfolds through bargaining emails and on the HSA website.