BC paramedics union headed to strike vote
The Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC), which represents about 6,000 paramedics and dispatchers, will soon be headed to a strike vote, citing negotiations for a new collective agreement reaching an impasse.
APBC president Jason Jackson said in a press release that the union met with its employer last week in an effort to advance negotiations and avoid any disruption to services. However, no positive progress was made in those negotiations.
The APBC added that the current agreement does not meet the needs to support members and their families or protect their mental health and safety.
“Not only does the government’s offer fail to address the serious challenges we face, but it also doesn’t even live up to what other public sector workers have already been guaranteed,” Jackson said. “Our members have stepped up time and time again to ensure patients across the province get the urgent care they need, but they are being stretched to their breaking point. It’s time for the BC government to recognize the desperate situation we’re in and work with us to find solutions.”
The union noted that BC’s ambulance service continues to operate under significant pressures and that paramedics are deployed across the province to address long-term service gaps, particularly in rural, remote and Indigenous communities.
The strike vote will open on Feb. 2, with electronic voting taking place over a two-week period.
The APBC said that once an essential services order is in place, workers will be in a legal strike position.
“A strike is always a last resort, but the status quo of staffing shortages, burnout and service disruptions isn’t an option either. Our members take their public safety role seriously,” Jackson said. “A strike is not something they want, but we are prepared to stand up for the ambulance service British Columbians deserve and the health and safety of those we serve.”