Paramedics Strike Won't Impact Ambulance Service

Wednesday, April 01, 2009 02:14 PM

Prince George, B.C.- The B.C. Ambulance Service may be facing a strike by paramaedics, but the Province wants to reassure everyone that ambulance service continues, because it is an essential service.

The strike began today when the current collective agreement between BCAS and the union representing paramedics and dispatchers, CUPE 873, expired at midnight last night.

"The public should continue to call 9-1-1 for an ambulance as they would at any other time," said Health Services Minister George Abbott. "All existing service levels of ambulance transports, including those
by ground or air ambulance, as well as inter-facility patient transfers have been declared as essential services by the Labour Relations Board."

An essential services order ensures that the health, safety and welfare of the public are maintained by B.C.'s paramedics and dispatchers during job action. Paramedic administrative duties that do not affect patients are vulnerable during job action.

"Staffing levels will be the same during job action as they are normally," said BCAS chief operating officer Sue Conroy. "We expect that paramedics and dispatchers will continue to provide the same high-
quality, timely emergency medical services during a strike that they do on a daily basis."

Attempts to reach an agreement through mediation and subsequent intervention by the associate deputy minister of labour and the minister of health services were not successful.

The employer's final offer which was tabled on March 26 included a three per cent wage increase and a signing bonus worth up to $2,600 for part-time and $4,100 for full-time paramedics for a one-year deal. All paramedics and dispatchers received a two per cent wage increase in 2008/09.

The last contract offer tabled by CUPE 873 included a 21 per cent wage increase over a three-year term as well as improvements to benefits. The total value of the proposal would equate to a 28 per cent
compensation increase over three years.

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Posted on Wednesday, April 01, 2009 02:14 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: rayban68 on April 1 2009 3:38 PM

3% wage increase? Wow so the guys that get two bucks an hour in vanderhoof and bear lake now get paid $2.06/hr?

Way to treat the paramedics right.

Posted by: Mercenary on April 1 2009 5:41 PM

Rayban: nope..that 2 bucks an hour is pager pay. Paramedics recieve their normal wage during calls which can be few and far between in places like Bear Lake or Vanderhoof.

The paramedics in BC are just looking to be compensated fairly for the work that they do. Through cutbacks and whatnot the number of full time medics has decreased over the last few years. It is to the point that a lot of medics are considered part time which makes it difficult to make a living doing the job that they extensively train to do.

Its kinda a catch-22 as well. Many of the medics I spoke to tell me that they aren't really in it for the money. They enjoy helping people in times of great need. However it has come to the point where many of these good people have to go elsewhere to work because they can't afford to remain as part time medics on pager pay alone. That means many junior medics just beginning their careers are staffing ambulances and being put into situations above their training. These folks mean well its just that they haven't yet been able to advance their training levels.

Posted by: My3Centsworth on April 1 2009 7:55 PM

I think the 28% increase they're looking for is reasonable. Isn't that pretty close to what the people "running" the province gave themselves?

Posted by: He speaks on April 1 2009 10:56 PM

HMMMMMMMM 28 %, a bad economy.... I hear a inflation train coming down the track.

Posted by: metalman on April 2 2009 7:56 AM

Should'nt we all take a cue from the golden parachute that the head jerk from GM was given?
metalman.

Posted by: He speaks on April 2 2009 8:23 AM

In this day and age, we should be grateful for having a government job. There are ten times the number of people that will take their jobs for 28% Less pay.

But thats union busting talk, and you know we are not allowed to do that. Because Big Brother is watching over us.