B.C. nurses: Mediated talks 'productive' but 'too early to know' if deal is possible

Members of the BC Nurses' Union picket outside Surrey Memorial Hospital, in Surrey, B.C., on Thursday, July 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

PRINCE GEORGE — The union representing 60,000 nurses in British Columbia says four days of mediated talks with the employers have been “productive” but it’s “too early to know” if a deal can be reached.

BC Nurses’ Union president Adriane Gear says in a statement that talks have been adjourned until Tuesday to give each side time to digest what was discussed and how to move forward.

Gear says the union is hopeful that the talks can move toward a negotiated settlement next week, and nurses “do feel heard” at the talks mediated by Vince Ready and Amanda Rogers.

In the meantime, nurses held a rally outside University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in Prince George Friday, decrying close to 4,500 reports by members of what’s described as “intimidation, coercion and interference” from management in response to their job actions.

Gear says the rally took place in Prince George because almost a quarter of the complaints have come from the Northern Health region, despite it only representing a “fraction” of B.C.’s provincial nursing workforce.

Nurses had been taking job action such as refusing non-nursing duties and overtime while also picketing a number of hospitals before mediation started earlier this week.

“The number of reports coming from Northern Health is deeply concerning and points to a serious problem that must be addressed,” Gear says in the statement while adding that no nurse should be threatened or intimidated for job action that’s within their legal right.

The union has filed an unfair labour practice application with the BC Labour Board regarding members’ intimidation complaints, while the employers have said they are not directing employees to perform work outside their roles and obligations.

Employers say they have also asked the union about specific cases of alleged intimidation to directly follow up with the cases.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2026.