Alberta takes a step forward.

[mobey]

A full-time medic with GPEMS has squashed this so called "trial" .... it never happened.

CUPE has been notified and it should be removed by now.

[tniuqs]

A full-time medic with GPEMS has squashed this so called "trial" .... it never happened.

CUPE has been notified and it should be removed by now.

I would not jump up and down and say this will not become a reality ... in 1993 the groundwork was laid by Nancy .... whatever the hell her name was, the Minister of Health ... oh yea Betkowski the turncoat.

Just where did she go anyway ?

NO CHEER.

Heck, next thing you know there will be a 24 week course for foreign trained immigrent MDS to be fast tracked on the taxpayers dollar ie. FREE ..... to become REMT-P and fill the gaps ...<give me stength>

WTF is the Brendan Institute anyway ? If my fellow Albertans do not believe this is far more a concern .... sheesh.

ps A letter recieved from MY M.P. stated a "review" in the next budget this will be forthcoming and thanks for bringing this to my attention .... hmmm, damn good thing I say, if their credentials ie FTMDs and level of English comprehension and credentials are not accepted for medicine, then why sould they be accepted for Paramedicine ?

cheers

ps If it came down to it, I would rather work with an AB registered EMR (on car) than the possible alternative.

[tniuqs]

OK

Crazy Idea here:

So someone with balls, table a motion next AGM that ... (Ok ... lets follow our US brothers lead in the EMT- that EMRs must have a Field practicum and a Hospital practicum to work on Car AND be endorsed by a registered member of ACoP.

The power of organised association and labour should not be underestimated, more than one way to skin a polecat.

A Self regulated proffession to raise the high bar .... just remember that little dity, don't slam up the anti.

CHEERS

[fortsmithman]

OK

Crazy Idea here:

So someone with balls, table a motion next AGM that ... (Ok ... lets follow our US brothers lead in the EMT- that EMRs must have a Field practicum and a Hospital practicum to work on Car AND be endorsed by a registered member of ACoP.

I agree EMR's should have to complete field and hospital practicums to get licensed. Isn't most EMR text just EMT- Basic texts. b Since our EMRs use EMT-Basic texts shouldn't they go on field an hospital practicums like our neighbours to the south.

[HellsBells]

So, the Alberta labor boards decison has come down. It states that the AHS move to transfer all EMS union members into HSAA was, in fact legal. It looks as though CUPE may not be representing Alberta paramedics for much longer.

Here is the statement from CUPE on their Calgary website: calgaryparamedics.com

CUPE - LRB Decision"CALGARY–

by CUPE EMS Coalition

Here is the update and we appreciate your continued support.

While we are disappointed with the Labour Board decision, we anticipated this outcome and we are now moving on to the next step as planned.

Concerns have been made by some of our members that they “want this to be over”.

Please read the message below.

At this stage of the process, your elected leadership from EMS CUPE Locals and through the EMS Coalition across the province are asking for your continued support and to hold strong.

This is a significant issue. The outcome will impact our ability to survive government and/or employer changes.

Here’s what you need to know:

The only obligation that is concrete is in your current collective agreement.

There is no guarantee that a future wage grid will represent the present wage schedule of the top wages. Do not think for one moment that this means increases in pay.

The proposed wage grid may not be the actual wage grid.Core/flex/standby – ‘same annual wages’ may not equal ‘same wages’ for the ‘same hours worked’. Ask your regional coworkers how they compare to you.

The wage grid the Employer speaks of may increase some wages, but for the majority of the staff it would mean re-directing your current rate until others catch up, reductions in wages or reversions to casual employment that get minimal benefits and hours. Do the math – it may surprise you.

Shift premiums can be bargained away. The employer has already stated they cannot afford this. Do not assume that these are a guarantee.

Basic uniform allotments are in jeopardy.

Management perks such as their Health Spending Account have been cut in half and wages were readjusted.

CUPE has succeeded in establishing a Supplementary Pension in Edmonton and Calgary despite the employer saying it would not happen. CUPE are the leaders on this and will continue the fight to preserve and advance it. Your retirement is important to CUPE.

This is just one excerpt of HSAA’s transitional collective agreement – Section 14.03 of “Salaries” states:

Both parties to this collective agreement recognize that an employee normally improves in skill and ability relative to experience. In the event there is just reason to believe that such improvement has not occurred an annual increment may be withheld.

CUPE Coalition EMS representatives who are your elected decision makers have taken great lengths to be informed. We believe that the other union’s receiving agreement will be detrimental for our members. It will be a losing situation for the future of our paramedic profession.

We recognize there has been frustration with many of our CUPE locals not having a contract and with no wage increase since 2008. This is a deliberate move by the Government/Employer to frustrate us and look to the proposed receiving collective agreement of HSAA that has yet to be ratified by Alberta Health Services.

Your elected CUPE leadership is on the front line. We are protecting your future interests and need your support.

Your CUPE EMS Coalition signatories are unanimous in this commitment to you.

CUPE Local 2038 – Taber EMS

CUPE Local 3197 – Edmonton EMS

CUPE Local 3197 – St. Paul EMS

CUPE Local 3197 – Vegreville EMS

CUPE Local 3197 – Beaver (Tofield/Viking) EMS

CUPE Local 3197 – Peace Hills (Wetaskiwin) EMS

CUPE Local 3421 – Calgary EMS

CUPE Local 3421 – Fort McLeod EMS

CUPE Local 3671 – Parkland EMS

CUPE Local 4351 – Westlock EMS

CUPE Local 4817 – Inter-hospital Transfer

CUPE Local 5152 – Cochrane EMS

In solidarity,

CUPE EMS Coalition

[tniuqs]

So, the Alberta labor boards decison has come down. It states that the AHS move to transfer all EMS union members into HSAA was, in fact legal. It looks as though CUPE may not be representing Alberta paramedics for much longer.

So does this mean that CUPE Local 3197 – Vegreville EMS in our very own Comrade Stelmach's Riding is kaput ? That sucks.

Legal does not infer the right thing to do, and I can't say I like how this all went down, but perhaps now is the time to continue on.

This does not mean that the same respected individuals as shop stewards and other past members of CUPE can not be voted into positions with HSAA. Quite seriously a more unified voice under whatever "handle" it may it be in the long run a bad thing for overall solidarity of EMS staff, provincially.

I doubt anyone in HSAA office has stood in a ditch, at - 43 C, at a roll over, in a blizzard or been threatened with a blade. Nor bumped around in the back of a King Air 200 at 28 thousand, skirting a T storm with a critical kid with a head injury.

That said Liz Ballerman is connected politically and there is an election coming, she may just need some help understanding this profession is all.

cheers

[rock_shoes]

I doubt anyone in HSAA office has stood in a ditch, at - 43 C, at a roll over, in a blizzard or been threatened with a blade. Nor bumped around in the back of a King Air 200 at 28 thousand, skirting a T storm with a critical kid with a head injury.

By the sounds of it HSA Alberta is about to acquire a number of new members who have done those kind of things. Someone from the field had best infiltrate the office or the quality of representation for EMS personnel is going to take a dive.

We had better start making some in-roads with HSA BC on our side of the Rockies actually. If we end up being dumped into the provincial health authority they will be our best bet for fair representation. We sure as hell wouldn't be well advised to approach BCNU (nurses union). The BCNU absolutely drives me nuts. I've never seen a group spend so much time crying shortage while actively pursuing other people's jobs at the same time. So which is it? Is there a nursing shortage or do you have so many members you need to take the jobs of others to secure your own membership?

[Jamie Hersey]

After reading the eight pages in this thread I realize that there will be no solution if one stays mired within the conflict of change. I detect a common thread throughout this discussion, namely things need to be fixed; however, any solution posed is met with skepticism. If it isn't the government, then it is big business, or some other profession trying to steal our work, or it is those dam fire fighters again. Or it is ACoP.

Now, what people are missing here is that the current model doesn't work. I started my career in Alberta so I know this. I know what a for profit EMS systems in Alberta look like. I started in a BLS unit that didn't have an AED as Alberta Health did not mandate it. It was EMR/EMT crew with a senior employee being someone with 2 months on the job.

The service sucked, the equipment sucked, and the training level was low. The patients were the ones that paid for this. I remember sitting the ambulance station - a trailer on the reservation - watching the fax machine spit out a dozen plus resumes of EMR and EMTs who just graduated thinking to myself that here comes the next wave of fodder for the system. I was suppose to call some of those people to set up interviews but I never did as Telus cut the phones for non-payment. My partner didn't seem to mind as he was too busy getting drunk. That was my introduction to Alberta EMS. This wasn't that long ago.

In my opinion anything is better that that. I say let ACoP set the national guidelines, and let the health authorities take over. Yes, things have changed in Alberta - just a bit, but not enough - so I welcome all of this. Perhaps, this will mark a change for Alberta EMS and help the profession develop as a profession. A higher level of representation will allow this to happen. I put forward that, once the dust settles, the new Alberta system will be better and stronger than what we have now.

[Siffaliss]

So does this mean that CUPE Local 3197 – Vegreville EMS in our very own Comrade Stelmach's Riding is kaput ?

Not yet. However, if we end up getting dumped into one of the four functional units (as we can't have our own, and lab techs understand OH SO MUCH of what we do and deserve the same contract), HSAA can and will use the dues we pay to them to fight CUPE.

This does not mean that the same respected individuals as shop stewards and other past members of CUPE can not be voted into positions with HSAA.

... and if the worst is realized and we are soon a part of HSAA, this is what SHOULD happen.

I doubt anyone in HSAA office has stood in a ditch, at - 43 C, at a roll over, in a blizzard or been threatened with a blade. Nor bumped around in the back of a King Air 200 at 28 thousand, skirting a T storm with a critical kid with a head injury.

You've got that right. If we are to be in one provincial union, why not be represented by those who understand what we do because they do it themselves? EMS knows what EMS needs.

This does not mean that the same respected individuals as shop stewards and other past members of CUPE can not be

That said Liz Ballerman is connected politically and there is an election coming, she may just need some help understanding this profession is all.

Bye bye Conservatives ...

[tniuqs]

'Jamie Hersey'

The service sucked, the equipment sucked, and the training level was low. The patients were the ones that paid for this. I remember sitting the ambulance station - a trailer on the reservation - watching the fax machine spit out a dozen plus resumes of EMR and EMTs who just graduated thinking to myself that here comes the next wave of fodder for the system. I was suppose to call some of those people to set up interviews but I never did as Telus cut the phones for non-payment. My partner didn't seem to mind as he was too busy getting drunk. That was my introduction to Alberta EMS. This wasn't that long ago.

In my opinion anything is better that that. I say let ACoP set the national guidelines, and let the health authorities take over. Yes, things have changed in Alberta - just a bit, but not enough - so I welcome all of this. Perhaps, this will mark a change for Alberta EMS and help the profession develop as a profession. A higher level of representation will allow this to happen. I put forward that, once the dust settles, the new Alberta system will be better and stronger than what we have now.

A bit of puke just got brought up into my mouth ... just what HAS this waste of money, the 14 hired middle management consultants accomplished other than screw every thing up they touch and escalating costs in delivery and in fact a decease in level of care ... good grief man ... you must be living in Saskatuwan !

Let AcoP set national standards foe reciprocity is a seriously recipe for disaster and over my dead body,(BTW) are you insane ? Allowing the current council (best look again) of ACoP to put their fingers in a national requirement's and dictated by legislators is folly for the Profession.

MARK MY WORDS !

So just how will a grant from immigration and economic development (federally) have any positive improvement to raise standards for Paramedicine all they wish to do is fast track ! NOW this after the same federal ministry put the cart before the house (to the tune of 700,000 CND) and funded the Brendin Institute to fast track for free FT MDs to become Paramedics, and this when no CMA approval OR ACoP involvement ? I am smelling something very phishy here ... I have been doing my research homework into the very political nature of this "situation" and the more I find the more gray hairs I am developing.

With many current ACoP approved institutes, CMA approved with presently over prescribed classes should we not intelligently increase support to those with a proven track record FIRST ? no rocket surgery their is there ?

The projections in need of ACP and PCP should have a serious needs assessment and way before throwing taxpayers money at anything and is NOT truly in the best interests of the Profession, that said has good progress not been made with AIT agreement already ?

Now all when AHS is trying to use ACP fly cars and a tiered response (to lower costs) btw a tiered response did NOT work in Edmonton it increased costs AND a longer response for ALS to scene, besides being redundant. Talk to the "Paramedics" that are redeployed on a daily basis for this idea and see what really is happening ... THEY are QUITING !

The dust will NOT settle until a Association of Paramedics with the goal to promote the profession becomes the major stakeholder.

ACoP in my rather informed opinion as a self appointed historian, their track record is an abomination in legislation advancement and fiscal responsibility alone ... I will take my 30 years watching and actively participating against any one that has a couple of years and believes that propaganda that ACoP spin's is stellar ... ask any current member their opinion and you will be shocked at the overwhelming disgust.

BTW Just who advanced the ACoP in the first place .... hint initials P.P. and presently residing in Ottawa, sure hope he is watching this cluster F.

ACoP has no National mandate from any group ! So get real PLEASE, well other than the "Association of Regulator's" (an extremely fledgling group in other provinces) so should we sit back and take that risk of our future and thats its all a bed of roses ?

Want a real change and improved EMS services in AB ... throw the Alberta Conservatives to the curb where they belong, just look to the current "throw money" to decrease surgical waiting lists ... its a short term fix with the aging demographic population. AND just who actually caused this a very short time ago with AHS policy ? I a flabbergasted with the short term memory lost of Alberta voters !

Heres what I think ... an election is coming soon this behavior by Conservative government it is predictable, Ralphy did it with the gas rebate just last go around ... sheesh.

And if Anyone .. I mean Anyone can not see the smoke and mirrors of this "transition" with real goal to control Paramedics as Labour Group, then look to BC and see the how new government legislation has positively improved EMS services ps the paint still drying on the walls of more like graffiti !

So I pose a question just how will reciprocity improve Paramedic Standards or Level Care to taxpayers ?

As they are THE REAL STAKEHOLDERS !

Edited February 22, 2010 by tniuqs