So the Parmedic strike goes on... I'm a newly qualified student paramedic and officially can't finish the course (although I passed all my exams) until the strike is over due to the preceptors being told by the union that training paramedics is non-essential. All other ways of striking (job walk-outs etc) are not allowed due to the fact the Labour Relations Board has told them they are essential services, thus it is left being a non-strike in many ways.

The paramedics working right now are being forced to work overtime to cover extra shift gaps, they must answer all calls from BC Ambulance so none of that "my phone was charging' malarky...

I just wanted to say something as I, along with my classmates and around 250+ across the province of BC are left in limbo while we wait. I can't gain work in the field I invested so much time, money and stress into. I am going to have to work in the lower (the lowest in Canada I believe) wage bracket again until I can find something better.

Are there any BC paramedics out there who would like to comment?

If anyone in BC happens to get a chance to meet with any ministers or sees anyone who is in government or the union maybe you can shout 'get an arbitraitor!' as currently, both sides have none and therefore the strike/non-strike goes on and on as both sides will not talk!

If anyone is on Facebook, please join the group 'save our paramedics' or at leat read some of the posts on there as it is really not in the spotlight at all. There is also a website at www.saveourparamedics.com which (if you have the time) is worth a read as it explains why they are striking.

Thanks expats.

I am a 20 yr veteran of BCAS.

Im also in limbo after completing all the clinical portion of the advanced life support program at the Justice Institute of B.C.

Almost 3 yrs of hard work, leaving my city in the interior, moving to the coast and taking a huge financial hit to do this program has been for nothing as it's stalled for the last 7 months without an end in site.

Last week the provincial government legislated the paramedics back to work by legally ending their strike and installing a joke of a raise. It is common knowledge this was done for the upcoming winter olympics in Vancouver/Whistler. Well, that just pissed 3700 paramedics off even more. Most preceptor/instructors immediately resigned their positions so there are few (if any) instructors left to complete the final on-car portion of the ALS program.

Tonight the BCAS paramedics had enough of both the gov't and their union and wildcatted. 22 ambulances were shut down in the greater Vancouver area (pop 1.5million) and in numerous other areas of the province saw a 50 to 75% reduction in available units. Front line staff are pissed off and sick of the politics from above. I too am so sick of the politics, both from the union and management. I've always been a union man but the last 7 months of listless activity and apathy by our union has been enough.

If I can somehow complete this program my fiancee (an RN) and myself are looking to NSW to reestablish our lives and enjoy our new careers in a new country. Yes the same BS is everywhere with EMS and other medical fields, but its not BCAS BS! There are many BCAS paramedics looking at NSW and QLD so don't be suprised if you're asked to play street hockey over a few beer by a funny sounding bloke in the near future! I know I'll be there soon enough

I guess that's one has to expect if one chooses to join a union dominated "profession" - a taste of things to come -- do the union leaders forego their pay while such antics are taking place?

All Goverment agencies are union in B.C. and I am grateful because you haven't seen a deeper level of incompetance until you see a B.C. government manager IMO. However, our union isn't far behind.
To answer your question, our executive gets paid their full wages plus any travelling, mileage, meals, etc by the union (members). BCAS paramedics have some of the highest union dues in Canada.

BTW 50 ambulances out of service last night in the metro Vancouver area; so apparently Paramedics are really pissed off at both the union and management as it was a wildcat strike. I've heard there's more to come tonight and tomorrow. On a positive note I am suprised and impressed that there haven't been any ambulances left idling on bridges with "flat tires" or anything of that sort... yet. Lots have custom colours, signs and markings on them now.
for example, here are two pics of what I found on the side of my unit when I went to work the other day.

That would be a really grown up thing for a supposedly professional group to do.

I am astounded that the government allow these graffiti signs to deface publicly owned property.

Agreed. There's an obvious case of criminal damage.

I take it that you'd have to work for BCAS to understand the frustration that every Paramedic is going through to understand why this is happening.
Perhaps in other countries and provinces there is a respect by the agencies that run the EMS services. In B.C. there is not; the gov't does not care in the least. The 7 month strike ended with legislation, no collective bargaining at all. If you've never been with a union I can understand why one would not understand this.
The wage disparity between Paramedics and other emergency workers has grown substancially. The Firefighters in B.C. received a 12% pay raise in 3 years and it didn't make the news. The last number of years fire depts have had nice pay raises while Paramedics received 0's or 1% over their agreements.
With all due respect to the firefighters, Paramedics work very hard while most firefighters sleep in their bunks at night. I know this as I am close friends with many firemen and we joke about it.
I don't excuse the Paramedics actions who did this as I understand their frustrations. Like me, they are angry and fed up, but unlike the montreal fire department, no one has repainted, set fire to or seriously vandalized a unit yet. I can respect that.
The gov't doesn't allow the defacing of units (aside from the strike signs) but any smart excluded manager would not go onto an ambulance station at this point as it would only further aggravate the situation. Remember the Paramedics are still responding and treating patients as professionally as always but not always wearing their uniforms and in some slightly customised units.
Its better than having a unit with slashed tires or set on fire government or not...

I'm a police officer (RCMP) and you have my support. We should all be paid a comparable wage. Know what you mean about bucket heads! It used to drive me nuts that our bossess were always trying to 'guess' when off peak period policing was so they could have less guys on shift, when no one really knows when something will happen, at the same time firefighters were all tucked up bed on the off chance something catches on fire.

Police are hiring

You guys should be paid the rate the market will stand to recruit and retain capable people. No more than this as a) it's what the rest of us have to put up with and b) it's the rest of us that pay your salaries. We aren't commies so there is no 'we should be paid a comparable wage'; it's supply and demand init.

I have no objections to strikes however, it's a good way for workers to negotiate better conditions for themselves. Still the BC paramedic strike is ineffective and pointless; nobody actually notices or cares apart from the paramedics.

I just joined the FB group.

We've had the paramedics around a few times for daughter (nothing too serious) so you have my support too.

Cops, nurses, firefighters and para medics (of these cops, nurses and firefighters have similar wages - paramedics don't) share similar stresses and risks and are arguably in comparable fields, especially paramedics vs firefighters. I personally feel that I'm fairly compensated for what I do, I never got into it for the money anyway. To retain decent people paramedics should be valued no less than other front line emergency services workers and should be comparably compensated. To not do so, runs the risk of not having the best on the job which puts us all at risk.

Then you get volunteers, who get out of bed at 2am go out in the snow in treacherous conditions, hang from a helicopter or traverse a raging river to save a life - For nothing and expect nothing.

Yes and admirable they are - i did it for the better part of 6 years, there comes a point though that one has to pay the bills and there is simply not enough volunteers to go around. And be under no illusion that a lot of volunteers do it to gain experience and pad their resumes. Moreover, volunteers are not as well trained as those that do it on a day to day basis.

You should try going out to a family splattered across the highway, tell a mother her son won't be coming home, have someone shit on you, have blood splashed in your face, have someone die in your arms it may give you a better perspective as to what is fair compensation. I doubt volunteers would do this day after day. None of us got into the emergency services for financial gain and really is about wanting to make a difference, but there comes a time when you just want to be treated fairly. I think I am, paramedics are not. Period

Doesn't matter what your opinion of what of fair is. If people are willing to do the job well for less then so be it; this is the reality for most people and the fact that you are part of 'the front emergency services working for the state' should not change this. It certainly doesn't make your job more or less worthy than others; you are not special cases.

The fact is that I'm actually indifferent to the paramedics plight, not because I a right-wing anti union nutcase, but because it is between them and their employer. Their union is trying to get them a better deal, and while I support their right to do this (it's the free market in action), I think the strike action they are taking is ineffective. This is because the approach they are taking doesn't appear to be working (though I maybe wrong and it is working, and all power to them if it is).

Compensation is based on supply and demand - nothing else. 'Fair' should not come into it.

Edit: Now I'm repeating myself ... sorry