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Prince Edward Island
The PEI Nurses’ Union (PEINU) is preparing for the next round of bargaining as their current agreement with Health PEI, signed in June 2023 and retroactive to April 2021, expired on March 31, 2025. As they approach the table, PEINU is emphasizing the need to reinvest the millions spent on for-profit agency nurses into the public system to improve nurse retention, scheduling systems, mentorship and respect for nursing expertise. One of the Union’s top concerns is the growing role of nurse practitioners, who are taking on increased responsibilities without equivalent pay or recognition. Through the Joint Consultation Working Group, PEINU has also made headway in modernizing job classifications and titles for RNs, which is an important step toward equity and transparency across the profession.
New Brunswick
The New Brunswick Nurses Union (NBNU) continues to deal with mixed bargaining outcomes after their most recent negotiations. While Nurse Managers and Supervisors narrowly ratified a tentative agreement in September 2024 that included a 12.5% wage increase over four years, the larger group of Part III nurses (which includes RNs and LPNs) rejected their tentative deal. The rejection has forced NBNU back to the table, where the Union is now consulting with members to understand their concerns and re-strategize for a better offer.
Newfoundland & Labrador
The Registered Nurses’ Union Newfoundland and Labrador (RNUNL) is halfway through a collective agreement that runs from 2022 to 2026, ratified in July 2023. The agreement aimed to combat long-standing staffing shortages through a restructured salary grid, 2% annual wage increases, and significant financial incentives such as a $2,000 signing bonus and an additional $5,000 annually for full-time permanent nurses.
Despite these gains, RNUNL is facing a persistent crisis in workplace safety. Nurses in the province report injuries every second day on average, prompting the Union to call for the creation of a Health Sector Safety Council. RNUNL is also advocating for a reduction in the use of private agency nurses. Recently, RNUNL affiliated with the Newfoundland and Labrador Federation of Labour, gaining formal representation and a stronger collective voice.
Ontario
The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA) is awaiting the results of binding arbitration for its over 60,000 hospital-sector members, following hearings that concluded in April. The decision is expected by July 2025. Central to ONA’s push are calls for enforceable RN-to-patient ratios, improved job security, and wage increases. These priorities were highlighted in recent province-wide rallies and were focused on during National Nursing Week where ONA criticized the Ontario government’s chronic underfunding of public healthcare.
Meanwhile, ONA achieved a significant win in the long-term care sector with an 11.5% wage increase over two years, until June 2026. ONA is now collecting input to prepare for the next round of long-term care negotiations.
In April, ONA held a rally for the home-care sector, where nurses face some of the most precarious working conditions, calling for fair wages and better supports. Contract negotiations in that sector are set to begin soon.
Manitoba
The Manitoba Nurses Union (MNU) is in the second year of a four-year agreement that runs until March 31, 2028, ratified in May 2024. The Union has shifted its focus to member engagement and public education.
In addition, MNU has announced that provincial union dues will increase as of January 2025 to 1.1% of top LPN wages, in order to fund advocacy, legal support, training, communication efforts and strike preparedness.
Saskatchewan
The Saskatchewan Union of Nurses (SUN) is currently negotiating with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Saskatchewan Association of Health Organizations. Sessions held in late May, resuming in mid-June 2025, have focused on wide-ranging structural issues, including multi-facility positions, scheduling, vacancy management, technological change and organizational restructuring. SUN is also advocating for better support for community nursing roles, opposing the centralization of services that has led to burnout and staffing gaps. Earlier this year, SUN publicly criticized the provincial budget, arguing it failed to adequately address recruitment and retention challenges.
Alberta
The United Nurses of Alberta (UNA) members voted overwhelmingly - 95.74% in favour - to accept the new deal in April 2025. The agreement makes Alberta nurses the highest paid in the country, with wage increases totalling around 20% over the contract term, alongside enhanced premium pay and improved benefits. This marks the end of a tense bargaining process that included the rejection of a mediator’s recommendation in late 2024. The strong ratification result signals member satisfaction after a difficult round of negotiations.
British Columbia
Nurses represented by the BC Nurses’ Union (BCNU) are preparing for a new round of collective bargaining, as their current agreement expired on March 31, 2025. The Union has undergone one of its most extensive preparations to date, involving member surveys, regional and equity-focused bargaining conferences, and town halls to determine priorities. Bargaining priorities include enforceable staffing ratios, improved workplace safety, mental health supports, equity, and competitive compensation.
On May 28, over 500 BCNU members rallied under the familiar slogan “Violence. Not Part of the Job,” spotlighting the sharp rise in physical and psychological injuries suffered by nurses - issues the union is determined to see addressed at the bargaining table.
Nova Scotia
NSNU’s acute care and other sector contracts are set to expire October 31 of this year. In September, NSNU members will vote to select representatives for the acute care Provincial Negotiating Committee.
A bargaining survey will be circulated asking members to list their priorities and share their opinions on collective bargaining and contract language. Members are encouraged to complete the survey.
A bargaining conference welcoming representatives from Locals across the province will take place in late fall. Details on these initiatives will be shared in the coming months as preparations get underway. The NSNU bargains within the Nova Scotia Council of
Nursing Unions, including NSGEU, CUPE and Unifor.
