BC Nurses expand job action to Vancouver Island

The BC Nurses’ Union will be setting up picket lines at three hospitals and a surgical centre on Vancouver Island starting July 12. On July 12, the Victoria General Hospital will be behind picket lines starting at 5:30 a.m., followed by Nanaimo Regional General Hospital on July 13, then the Royal Jubilee Hospital and South Island Surgical Centre on July 14. BCNU says the picket line expansion aims to put “increasing pressure on the provincial government to intervene and deliver a mandate that allows meaningful bargaining.” Island Health says it has plans in place to maintain essential service levels during the picketing to help people continue to access the care they need.