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

Veteran mediator Vince Ready to step in to try to end the B.C. nurses’ dispute

Jul 10, 2026 | 12:35 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Veteran mediator Vince Ready has been appointed to try to help settle the British Columbia nurses’ dispute as the union steps up its job action.

Labour Minister Jennifer Whiteside says in a statement that Ready and Amanda Rogers will act as special mediators to work with the parties for 10 days to help try to reach a settlement.

The statement says that if necessary, they will provide recommendations to end the dispute to the minister.

Premier David Eby said at an unrelated news conference in Prince George that the labour dispute has drawn attention to nursing issues, such as working conditions and safety, among others.

Eby said that while government has taken steps to try to mitigate some of those pressures, such as nurse-to-patient ratios and pilots related to security screening, there are still issues that need to be addressed.

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The BC Nurses’ Union said yesterday that negotiations broke off with the Health Employers Association, leading to a “significantly new phase” of job action with an expansion of pickets to additional care centres across the province.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

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