BC paramedics union considers job action as talks break down

The Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia have been bargaining for better working conditions for months, but the union is looking at job action which could include a strike.

The union represents more than 4,500 paramedics and emergency dispatchers around the province. It began negotiations in September, but talks broke down before Christmas and the union is looking at a potential strike.

“This is not where we expected or wanted to be,” union president and negotiator Jason Jackson said in the release. “Paramedics and dispatchers are more essential to British Columbia’s healthcare system than ever before. We are deeply concerned about what will happen if the government fails to take these negotiations seriously.”

BC Emergency Health Services employs most paramedics in B.C.

The union said paramedics have been warning the government about system pressures like organizational growth, staffing shortages, empty ambulances and an increasing reliance on overtime.

It said the challenges facing paramedics are the same as the ones affecting doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers around the province like poor recruitment and retention.

Kelowna General Hospital’s pediatric unit was closed earlier this year because of staffing issues. Vernon Jubilee Hospital lost four psychiatrists who said they were overworked and under supported. Kamloops Royal Inland Hospital had seven OB-GYNs leave for similar reasons.

Jackson said paramedics deserve better since they are the ones who fill some of the gaps in the healthcare system.

“Our members have stepped up time and time again without hesitation,” he said. “Yet we continue to see ambulances sitting unstaffed and hundreds of vacant positions across the province.

“Without meaningful improvements to wages, benefits and wellness initiatives, we will continue to lose skilled professionals and communities will pay the price.”

The union is engaging its members on job action but it hasn’t specified exactly what that would look like or when it would begin. Jackson said there would still be essential staff on duty during any job action.

“As part of preparing for potential job action, we are currently establishing essential service levels for paramedics and dispatchers,” Jackson said.

“This is not something we want, and it is not something the public deserves. However, we are prepared to do what is necessary to bring the employer back to the table and, if required, involve mediation to reach a fair agreement.”