CUPE is fighting the BC Liberal government’s use of legislative force against the province’s 3,500 CUPE 873 striking ambulance paramedics. The government shutdown a legal seven-month strike even though paramedics were working under Essential Services orders and were in the midst of voting on the government’s latest offer. The legislation was demanded by the Olympic Organizing Committee which is now considering using scabs to run ambulance services during the Vancouver 2010 Games. This is a fundamental assault on Canadian workers’ rights to free collective bargaining.

Write today and put the B.C. government on notice: The message you sent will go a long way to let them know that workers’ rights cannot and will not be trampled for the Olympics or any other excuse.

http://cupe.ca/action/bc-paramedics

From Derek Blackadder – CUPE Canada

The BC Ambulance Paramedics in the province have been on strike now for months.  As an essential service they do not have the ability to take their cause to the streets but must try to raise the profile of their issues while still performing the life saving duties of their jobs.  The public appears to support them but we need to do more to help them to get resolution.  BC Paramedics are paid from $2.00 to $10.00 per hour during the time that they are waiting for a call.  Yes, you read correctly.  It would seem that their skill set has no real value unless they are trying to save our necks. It takes years for a paramedic to move from part time to full time where they can finally make a living that will actually support a family. This, of course, has caused recruitment and retention issues for the BC Ambulance service.  In our community alone we have only one 24 hour full time ambulance and one additional full time daytime ambulance.  There are two on-call ambulances for both day and evening.  The call out volume for Comox Valley ambulances has risen 59.24% from 1996 to now with no increases in ambulances.  Each Comox Valley ambulance carries a callout volume of approximately 1,655 calls per year*. In an effort to assist our fellow CUPE workers in the Paramedic sector I would encourage you to talk to your MLA about resolving this issue and to get a yard sign (you’ve seen them around town – the tastefully appointed yellow signs) and display it on your lawn.  It is important to keep this issue in the forefront of our community citizen’s minds so that this strike can be settled.  Please contact me or any executive member if you would like a sign. (*facts and figures from www.saveourparamedics.com).