July 9, 2026
An Open Letter of Solidarity to the British Columbia Nurses’ Union (BCNU) and All BC Healthcare Nurses
To our Sisters, Brothers, and Friends in the British Columbia Nurses’ Union,
On behalf of the National Executive Board of the Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC), we are writing to express our profound, unconditional solidarity with British Columbia’s nurses. As you face grueling contract negotiations and exercise your fundamental right to job action to defend your profession, we stand squarely beside you. Your fight for safety, respect, and fair working conditions is one that impacts everyone in this province. Your right to strike must be fiercely protected, and we want you to know that you do not stand alone.
For years, nurses across British Columbia have been the backbone of our healthcare system, holding it together through sheer determination under increasingly impossible conditions. You have endured chronic understaffing, forced overtime, unmanageable nurse-to-patient ratios, and an alarming rise in workplace violence. When your membership stands up to say that the current status quo is unsustainable, it is not just a labour dispute. It is a brave call for the survival of public healthcare.
Nurses do not take job action lightly. Every nurse would far prefer to be at the bedside, delivering the high-quality care that British Columbians deserve. However, when health authorities and the government fail to address the core issues driving professionals out of the industry, you are left with no choice. You are striking to protect your own well-being, but ultimately, your working conditions are the patient’s care conditions.
This struggle directly intersects with our own membership. PPWC Local 5 proudly represents a diverse group of highly skilled workers across the province, including the vital healthcare infrastructure workers, maintenance staff, and power engineers who keep our hospitals running safely. This includes dozens of dedicated PPWC Local 5 members working on the ground right alongside you at major facilities, including Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).
Let us be completely clear about our position: PPWC members will NOT cross your picket lines.
As a proudly independent, democratic Canadian union, the PPWC is built on the unshakeable foundation of true labour solidarity. We recognize that the right to strike and the power of a legal picket line are the most sacred tools working people possess to demand dignity from employers. If the British Columbia Nurses’ Union establishes legal picket lines at Vancouver General Hospital or any other healthcare facility across BC, our Local 5 members will respect those lines completely. We will stand with you on the outside of those doors, not work on the inside to alleviate the pressure that your lawful strike is meant to exert.
We know that health employers often attempt to use division, pressure tactics, and essential services legislation to weaken the impact of job action. We are already hearing troubling reports of management intimidation across the province, where workers are being pressured or threatened for standing up for their rights. The PPWC strongly condemns any attempt by health authorities to bully nurses or bypass the collective bargaining process. Our members will not be used as pawns to undermine your leverage, nor will we help keep operations running as usual while management refuses to offer you a fair contract.
The principle that an injury to one is an injury to all is not just a slogan for the PPWC. It is a strict code of conduct. When nurses win safer workloads and better support, it raises the bar for safety and labour standards across the entire healthcare sector, benefiting our power engineers, maintenance workers, and every support staff member who keeps these massive facilities operational. Conversely, if your rights are eroded, every worker in the public sector becomes more vulnerable.
We applaud the BCNU for its courageous stance and its commitment to fighting for systemic reform in BC healthcare. It is time for the provincial government and the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC) to halt the stalling tactics, respect your legal right to job action, and return to the bargaining table with a mandate that genuinely addresses wage improvements, strict nurse-to-patient ratios, and robust workplace safety protections.
To the thousands of nurses standing up for the future of healthcare in British Columbia: keep your heads held high. Your bravery is an inspiration to the entire Canadian labour movement. The Public and Private Workers of Canada, alongside Local 5 members at Vancouver General Hospital and across the province, stand with you shoulder-to-shoulder. We will respect your lines, we will champion your cause, and we will support you for as long as it takes to win the justice you deserve.
In Solidarity,
Chuck LeBlanc
National President, Public and Private Workers of Canada (PPWC)
nationalpresident@ppwc.ca
ppwc.ca
