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Health Minister rejects plea to place paramedics contract dispute before arbitrator


tniuqs

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Health Minister Kevin Falcon has rejected a plea by striking paramedics to place their contract dispute before an independent arbitrator.

The strike by the province’s 3,500 paramedics and emergency dispatchers will enter its 86th day Thursday with no sign it will end soon and with rumblings from the union that increased job action could disrupt services.

Union president John Strohmaier had written to Falcon asking him to intervene in the dispute between paramedics and the Emergency Health Services Commission, which runs the ambulance service.

He asked for a meeting with the minister as soon as possible “to convey our union’s strong support to terminate this strike immediately in return for a fair process for resolution.”

Strohmaier said the present situation “could place the BC Ambulance Service and the patients it serves at extreme risk.”

He had asked Falcon to allow paramedics to use the same arbitration process used when police or firefighters are unable to reach a contract settlement.

But Falcon said he wanted both sides back at the bargaining table because they are too far apart for effective arbitration.

“The challenge is that in one of the most difficult economic times, the union is looking for a 40-per-cent increase over three years, when you take into account wage and benefits. It’s so far removed from the world we are in,” Falcon said.

Paramedics are a big part of the health system, he said, and the immediate need is to get the union to negotiate a reasonable package based on what the government has been offering other health-care sectors.

Falcon said he was disturbed by the union leadership suggesting there might be breaches of a B.C. Labour Relations Board ruling April 17 that declared the ambulance service an essential service.

The ruling prevents paramedics from stopping work while on strike.

Despite the ruling, Falcon said he’s been hearing talk of the union contemplating “service withdrawals.”

“I’m concerned about the union leadership suggesting there could be violations of the essential services legislation,” he said. “We are literally talking about putting people’s lives at risk.

“We need the union leadership to negotiate responsibly with the ambulance service,” he said.

Paramedics have been on strike since April 1 after refusing a contract offer for a one-year agreement with a three-per-cent increase in wages plus a $4,000 signing bonus for full-time paramedics and a $2,600 bonus for part-timers.

The union asked for a three-year deal with annual pay increases of seven per cent.

Ambulance Paramedics of B.C. official B.J. Chute said that last week, the union was presented with the same offer that was put forward in March, minus signing bonuses that were offered then.

“It even had the March 25 date on it. ... It was extremely insulting to offer us less than what put us on strike in the first place,” Chute said.

The union’s executive has been touring the province since then, taking stock of how members are feeling, Chute said from Chetwynd.

He said members were frustrated and upset with the way they were being treated and some have told the executive they want to disregard the LRB order and walk off the job. Others want to ban overtime, which he said would be crippling as the ambulance service heavily relies on overtime to keep ambulances on the road.

“We’re not advocating a full strike. That would have grave consequences not just for paramedics but the general public, too,” Chute said.

“But we won’t finish our tour until July 1 and after that the executive committee will be sitting down to discuss everything we have heard and make a decision where to go next.”

http://www.vancouversun.com/Health/Health+...fore+arbitrator

Check out the "comments" on the link to Vancouver Sun ... interesting reading !

Ah communism is alive and thriving in BC, maybe just me but my letter of resignation would be in second draught by now and CC ed to RN Union :warning::doctor: .... because there going to be the next group under Campbell to get bashed .... I an so ashamed he is a Scot :fish:

Edited by tniuqs
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Ah communism is alive and thriving in BC, maybe just me but my letter of resignation would be in second draught by now and CC ed to RN Union :warning::doctor: .... because there going to be the next group under Campbell to get bashed .... I an so ashamed he is a Scot :fish:

The whole "Everyone is equal. Some are just more equal than others." is really rearing its ugly head around here. I can't share what the next step on CUPE 873's part will be just yet. Know there is more to come and things are going to get even more interesting. King Gordo needs to think long and hard about who he wants to show up at his door if he ever needs EMS. Does he want Primary and or Advanced Care Paramedics or does he want a pair of EMR's (roughtly equivalent to EMT-B ) who took a 3-4 week first aid course? The number of paramedics ready to move on to other careers is tremendous. I know of many paramedics who have received the golden handshake from various police forces who are also shortstaffed (and far better paid). Couple that with the large number ready to retire in the near future and we are quickly approaching critical mass.

Edited by rock_shoes
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