B.C. nurses expand pickets and file labour board complaint, citing intimidation

VANCOUVER — British Columbia’s nurses union says it has received more than 1,400 reports of intimidation by employers against its members since job action started, prompting a complaint to the labour board.

The development comes as the BC Nurses’ Union began picketing Vancouver General Hospital on Tuesday, where hundreds of protesters filled sidewalks across multiple city blocks and chanted slogans to the honks of passing vehicles.

Union president Adriane Gear told the rally that it had filed an emergency application with the labour board, alleging B.C. health employers are “behaving poorly” in response to the union’s lawful job action such as overtime bans and refusal of non-nursing duties.

“Now this isn’t all managers, but many started threatening my members saying that, ‘If you don’t carry out these duties I’m going to report you to our college,'” Gear told reporters at the rally.

“We need our license,” she added. “That would be the most common example (of intimidation), but also just saying, ‘If you don’t do this, you could be fired.’ That is just intimidation, and we will not tolerate it.”

In a statement, the Health Employers Association of BC said they are “not directing employees to perform work outside their role, qualifications, professional scope or collective agreement obligations.”

“Where specific concerns arise regarding work or workplace issues, employers strongly encourage raising those matters through established local labour relations processes, so they can be reviewed and addressed promptly,” the statement said.

The employers’ association said it has also asked the union about the alleged cases of intimidation and is “committed to directly following up with respect to any concerns.”

The provincial Ministry of Health did not immediately respond to developments in the dispute.

The union said nurses are also reporting being threatened with disciplinary measures.

“No nurse should be made to feel afraid for standing up for safer workplaces, better retention and a stronger public health-care system,” Gear said.

Job action began last Thursday.

“Every decision we’ve made throughout this process has been guided by our commitment to protecting patients and maintaining essential services,” Gear said.

“But when employers refuse to respect nurses’ legal rights and instead choose confrontation over meaningful engagement, they leave us with no choice but to increase the pressure.”

The union said Surrey Memorial Hospital and the Jim Pattison Outpatient Care and Surgery Centre will be joining the picketed list by Thursday.

“What I can tell you is that we definitely have plans, but those aren’t plans that we will share at this point,” Gear said. Our plan will be to escalate job action if we need to. We are prepared.

“Again, being on a picket line is the last thing that any nurse or health care worker wants to do. We’ve all gone into our professions to care for patients for our clients and our residents. This is extraordinary that we are in this situation.”

A tentative agreement between the two sides’ negotiators was rejected last month by the nurses, with 67 per cent voting against the deal.

A month earlier, members of the nurses’ union had voted 98 per cent in favour of authorizing strike action in settling the labour dispute.

The union represents about 60,000 nurses across B.C.

Gear said the union’s bargaining committee met with the employers on Monday night, and while the discussion was “respectful” it did not lead to substantial movement in the negotiations.

“There were productive conversations,” she said. “But at the end of the day, the health employees have made it clear they cannot manoeuvre anywhere out of mandate. That is a government decision.”

Along with nurses’ union members, representatives from several other groups attended the rally in front of Vancouver General Hospital carrying placards, flags and banners as music blared in a festive environment.

Among the groups were the Hospital Employees’ Union, the Health Sciences Association of BC, the BC Federation of Labour and the BC General Employees’ Union.

Hospital Employees’ Union president Barbara Nederpel echoed Gear’s sentiment that health workers must send a clear message that they cannot continue to be taken for granted, and can’t be expected to “hold up” the health-care system.

“Workers are saying, loudly and proudly, and most definitely clearly by the sight of this picket line, that enough is enough,” Nederpel told the rally Tuesday.

“And we are here in solidarity because all of us want the same thing: Better health care for patients, for residents, for families, and for every worker that keeps this system afloat.”

The nurses’ union has said that members will maintain essential services during the job action.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 7, 2026.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press