BC Ambulance Paramedics Vote YES for Strike Action
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97% Vote in Favour of Potential Strike Action
February 18, 2026 - The Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC), CUPE Local 873 today announced that its more than 6,000 members have voted 97% in favour of potential strike action.
According to CUPE 873, the electronic vote, conducted February 2–16 with nearly 80% participation, delivers a resounding mandate from frontline paramedics, emergency dispatchers, call-takers, and support staff who serve communities across British Columbia.
In its media advisory, the union described the result as a clear message that workers are prepared to act to secure meaningful improvements in areas such as understaffing, chronic burnout and overwork, inadequate resources in the face of rising call volumes.
Negotiations with the employer, BC Emergency Health Services (BCEHS), represented by the Health Employers’ Association of BC (HEABC), began in September 2025 following the expiry of the previous collective agreement in March 2025.
Talks reached an impasse, prompting the strike vote.
A 97% yes vote does not trigger an immediate job action. Under British Columbia’s essential services legislation for the health sector:
Any form of job action requires an essential services order from the Labour Relations Board. This order would define the minimum staffing levels that must remain in place to prevent immediate and serious danger to public health (e.g., ensuring ambulances respond to life-threatening emergencies).
The union must provide 72 hours’ notice before commencing any strike or other labour disruption.
Initial steps, if pursued, are more likely to involve limited measures—such as overtime bans, work-to-rule campaigns, or targeted restrictions—rather than a full province-wide withdrawal of services.
The last major paramedic job action in BC took place in 2009 and was resolved through back-to-work legislation after several months.
What’s next: The union has scheduled a press conference for Thursday, February 19, 2026.
Tomorrow’s announcement is expected to outline the path forward from the workers’ perspective and could signal renewed bargaining pressure or escalation timelines.
For the latest from the union, visit www.apbc.ca or follow their official channels.
BC Ambulance Paramedics Vote YES for Strike Action – What's Next
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