Canada’s nurses press for a First Ministers’ Meeting in pre-budget submission

Silas: It’s time to assess progress of bilateral agreements and negotiate a new framework that reflects the current health system pressures

May 5, 2026 (Ottawa, ON) – Canada’s nurses unions are urging the federal government to ensure federal funding for health care remains stable in the government’s upcoming budget. The Canadian Federation of Nurses Union’s (CFNU) pre-budget submission focuses on the need to renew key health care agreements and maintain the Canada Health Transfer escalator at a minimum of 5% annually and move toward restoring a 6% escalator.

“Our health care system is facing intensifying challenges around health human resources, unsafe workloads and violence against health care workers. As bilateral agreements come to an end, it’s time for a First Ministers’ Meeting that is focused on assessing progress and negotiating a new framework that reflects the reality of the current system pressures,” said CFNU President Linda Silas. “Canada needs bold federal leadership to bring premiers together and deliver on the care that everyone in Canada needs.”

In its pre-budget submission, the CFNU outlines key recommendations for Budget 2026 that would address key health care challenges while maximizing the economic benefits of public health care:

• Urgently convening a First Ministers’ Meeting on health care in 2026, with a focus on renewing the Working Together to Improve Health Care for Canadians Plan’s agreements;
• Maintaining the Canada Health Transfer escalator at a minimum of 5% annually, and moving towards a 6% escalator to reflect actual health system costs and demographic pressures;
• Implementing targeted Indigenous-specific investments to support the retention and recruitment of Indigenous nurses, including Indigenous-led education and training pathways, mentorship and career advancement supports, culturally safe and anti-racist workplaces, and the removal of systemic barriers to entry and retention, in alignment with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action on health;
• Investing in the health workforce through a federal tax credit for nurses and a $1 billion Nursing Retention Fund to implement the Chief Nursing Officer’s Nursing Retention Toolkit, including safe staffing measures such as minimum nurse-patient ratios.

“Not only is health care funding critical to the health of everyone in Canada, but health care funding is also critical to the strength of Canada’s economy. Just a 1% increase in spending would raise real GDP in Canada by billions,” said Silas. “Investing in health care is a fiscally responsible choice, and it’s one that would have a concrete positive impact on the lives of Canadians across the country.”

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The CFNU is Canada’s largest nurses’ organization, representing 250,000 frontline unionized nurses and nursing students in every sector of health care – from home care and LTC to community and acute care – and advocating on key priorities to strengthen public health care across the country.

For more information, please contact Adella Khan, media@nursesunions.ca, 613‑807‑2942.