Striking Ambulance Paramedics Invited to Talk with Labour Minister

Wednesday, August 26, 2009 03:09 PM

Prince George, B.C. - There may be some good news for striking ambulance paramedics.

Their negotiating team has been invited to a meeting next week with the Provincial Labour Minister.

The 3,500 ambulance paramedics have been on strike since April 1^st. Under essential services legislation, ambulances have been staffed since the strike began.

The union, CUPE local 873, says the main issue is wage parity with other emergency service professionals, including Vancouver police officers and paramedics in other parts of the country.

The union has proposed a four-year agreement with parity phased in. The employer has stuck to a one-year offer with a three percent increase.

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Posted on Wednesday, August 26, 2009 03:09 PM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: Dirtyrottenresearcher on August 27 2009 12:05 AM

As I understand it a part-time paramedic is paid for the hours that they work, but a full time one is only paid four 3/4 of a 12 hour shift. A part-time paramedic makes substantially more than a full-time status one who works the same shift and can potentially earn more per year. The paramedics need something like a 25% wage increase so as to be at par with even first year fire-fighters. This is not an easy fix.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on August 27 2009 6:47 AM

Dirtyrottenresearcher seems to have it right...
I spoke with a paramedic the other day for quite a while and it was a very interesting conversation.
I have known this guy all my life and he is a straight up dude,so I will assume he is telling it like it is.
These people are getting a raw deal, and they need the support of the public as much as we need them!
This should have been settled long ago,but it appears to be all part of the decline in our healthcare services in general.
I would expect nothing from the Provincial Labour Minister that will help much, and while hopeful,I doubt the paramedics do either.
Strong public support WILL make a difference.

Posted by: Mercenary on August 27 2009 9:23 AM

My wife is a paramedic. While on call she makes 2 dollars an hour. When she gets a call, her wage goes up to $19 per hour and she is guaranteed 4 hours pay at that point. Calls are few and far between in a little town like Mackenzie but really that is a blessing if you think about it.

At first glance it looks like the strike is about money and wage parity with other emergency services. However there are a number of big issues behind the scenes that people might not know about. Many stations across the province are understaffed to the point that other medics are working 24/7 just to ensure cars are manned. Oftentimes cars from other cities and towns will be called in to cover for busier stations, leaving their home stations and towns unprotected.

There is also the issue with the Essential Service Order. Because of this paramedics must keep up their availability during the strike at historic levels. So even though they are woefully understaffed to begin with, medics have to keep working at their previous levels so as not to go against the ESO.

Really, the medics hands are tied. Many of the people that I have come across in my travels are dedicated to their jobs and they love what they do. They deserve to be fairly compensated for their time and effort in saving lives on a daily basis.