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March 1, 2001
Why Ambulance Paramedics Need Our Support
The Ambulance Paramedics of BC (CUPE Local 873) have been without a collective agreement since April 1st, 2000.
In November, after months of difficult bargaining and limited job action, a tentative agreement was reached and taken to the members for ratification. This agreement was soundly rejected with a 90 percent ‘no’ vote. Talks resumed but reached an impasse.
The main issues in the dispute are:
- hours of work
- wages
- staffing levels
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Most paramedics are working 42 hours a week and are being paid an annual salary based on 35 hours per week. Paramedics are demanding the 35 hour work week be the standard across the province.
The BC Ambulance Service has depended on volunteers and overtime staff to fill over 23,000 shift vacancies a year. The paramedics say that the government needs to hire at least 200 more ambulance paramedics to address the current work hour crisis.
On February 15th paramedics across the province began a ban on all voluntary overtime and reduced availability of all volunteer paramedics. As a result, on February 15th, BCAS was unable to staff 18 ambulances in the lower mainland, one in Kelowna, one in Kamloops and two in the Victoria area. Many other non full-time units went down because they were unable to find staff to work.
HEABC and BCAS immediately went to the LRB and applied to have the paramedics’ lawful job action stopped. The LRB ruled that CUPE must advise its members to be available for overtime and on-call members must make themselves available for shifts. The paramedics now must rely on public actions, an ad campaign, and support from their colleagues and the public to win a fair collective agreement.
The paramedics have an e-mail letter campaign to the premier through their website at www.paramedicsofbc.com. Visit it and show your support. Watch for bulletins of rallies, meetings etc. where you can show solidarity.
BCNU bargaining hotline 1 800 667-1079
And remember, don’t do any ambulance paramedic’s work unless
it is part of your usual duties. |
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