Paramedics refuse OT in BC !

[tniuqs]

VICTORIA NEWS

B.C Ambulance Service paramedics have been on strike for months and are now deciding not to work their overtime anymore. Paramedic strike will actually 'improve service' is becoming the general conclusion from many taxpayers.

... and about frigging time

.

Gary Baggott hasn’t seen staffing issues this tight in the 23 years he’s worked for B.C. Ambulance. Several ambulances were shut down last weekend because staff were either unavailable or unwilling to work overtime shifts. “We’ve handled the overtime for so many years what’s happened is now (B.C. Ambulance) expect us to keep it up and maintain the service without hiring any more people,” Baggott said.

Shane Edwards, representative for the Canadian Union of Public Employees local 873. said the province’s service depends on paramedics working overtime.

Since paramedics began strike action in April, the Labour Relations Board introduced a mandate to ensure paramedics not only work their own shifts but work overtime as well.

OK .... WHAT ? Forced to work whenever the manager calls, so where is this again ? Communist China ? this is not a matter of an MCI or provincial emergency call out for a disaster then its justifiable but just daily activity ... absurd and cost ineffective !

Baggott said paramedics are “burning out.” The union said this is what caused several ambulances to be off the road over the weekend.

One car was shut down in Esquimalt on Friday night, and a Esquimalt car and one downtown car were off the road Saturday. A downtown car was also shut down on Sunday night. Bob Gallaher with the B.C. Ambulance Service said people shouldn’t see an impact on their care. “We have been able to meet the high-priority calls without any ill-effects,” he said.

I say show me the response times, for those of you that do not know the island there is very few express freeways

Secondary response vehicles were brought in from Central Saanich and Sidney to maintain coverage while primary response vehicles remained in Victoria and Esquimalt. Edwards said “it’s robbing Peter to save Paul.”

“I know management’s attitude is that they’re moving a car from a low call volume are to a high call volume area but basically, you’re shooting the dice on that. “All of a sudden, something happens in Central Saanich and you’ve got cars coming in from the city going out there,” he said.

Gallaher said no one who urgently needed an ambulance over the weekend saw a delay. He couldn’t say if non-life threatening calls had an increased wait-time, however, because that was not his focus.

So Gallaher has a new crystal ball to triage by telepathy ?

Gallaher said the problem is staff aren’t making themselves as available as they have in the past. B.C. Ambulance said they made 170 calls to 95 employees to fill seven shifts last weekend, compared with the same time last year when they made 34 calls to 16 employees to fill the same number of shifts.

“The reason we’re making those calls is because people are not answering their phones because they know once they’ve answered their phones, they’re obligated to accept the work.” But Baggott said it’s often the same people working overtime and they’re getting tired.

B.C. Ambulance Service said they plan to speak with the Labour Relations Board to ensure the essential services order is enforced and staff work the same number of shifts as they did prior to the strike.

No one from the Labour Relations Board was available to comment.

These comment's from viewer's of the news report nailed it !

1- Since when can anyone be forced to work overtime? And why doesn't the ambulance service have enough paramedics at regular wages instead of throwing away tax dollars on overtime? Sounds like poor management practices to me that is leading to ambulance coverage being downgraded and tax dollars wasted. Maybe the first thing Kevin Falcon should do is get some intelligent people running the ambulance service.

2- It is up to BCAS management to staff the cars. If there are no Paramedics that want to work on their days off, then a manager needs to work on the Ambulance. Otherwise BCAS is in violation of the essential service order, not the Paramedics. Stop burning out Paramedics, and pay them what they are worth. Hire the proper amount of staff, and get back to the bargaining table. The Liberals, and the management of the BCAS need to start respecting the hard working Paramedics of this province.

in solidarity

cheers

Edited July 8, 2009 by tniuqs

[tniuqs]

http://apbc.ca/home/node/627

BC paramedics launch ad campaign

July 3, 2009 02:34 PM

Frustrated by provincial government inaction, striking Ambulance Paramedics in BC have launched a TV advertising campaign. The ads call on the public to pressure the BC government to appoint an independent arbitrator to settle the three-month-old dispute.

Provincial Health minister Kevin Falcon has so far refused to help save the deteriorating ambulance service. Paramedics president John Strohmaier called on Falcon two weeks ago to appoint an arbitrator, but Falcon declined.

The 3,500 members of CUPE 873 are on strike for faster ambulance response times, better staffing levels, wage parity with other emergency responders and a multi-year contract. The employers' dependence on part time workers, unpaid travel time and chronic overtime has stretched the paramedics to the limit.

The TV ads focus on the importance of the ambulance service and the need to maintain aging equipment, increase the number of ambulances, and pay our paramedics a living wage.

The BC ambulance service refuses to negotiate, sticking to its initial one-year, three-per-cent wage proposal. The union wants a three-year deal for stability and a move towards parity with other emergency responders.

Ah media is the way to go !

[Eydawn]

GOOD FOR THEM! While we were in Victoria, every time I saw a BCAS rig I sent good vibes their way. One thing I noticed... they all looked SO tired.

I hope this gets resolved in a way that is fair to the paramedics... after all, they're the ones providing care...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Arctickat]

I just returned from a vacation to BC. During my travels I saw one sign with the slogan, "Save Our Paramedics". When I got home last night I flipped on the BC - Hamilton CFL game. Imagine how stunned I was to see a BCAS unit in the background serving standby at the game. In my experience this is a volunteer posting and also that the CFL can not conduct a game without EMS standby.

If the medics of BCAS want to be noticed, perhaps not showing up to a game would put a national spotlight on their situation. Not to mention probably piss of a few thousand fans.

[crotchitymedic1986]

glad they took my advice; i have said for years, if we will just stop working overtime and partime jobs for one month (all on the same month) our pay rate would jump dramatically. Come on people, lets make January 2010 our independence day ---- dont work overtime or your part-time job the month of January 2010 and see what happens to wages.

[jw-c152]

I would be surprised if a CFL game was a volunteer post. I'm sure they service is being paid to provide coverage for the game. I am not from BC and therefore am not certain on this... however, the area I work in has an international speedyway and 'Mosport' pays my service (quite well, I might add - somewhere in the neighbourhood of $185/hour last I heard) to ensure there are ALS units there on every race and practice day.

A lot of the major sporting events in Toronto (Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Raptors, Toronto Football Club, etc.) as well as special events all hire private first aid companies to staff their events. In the event of a 'call' they call Toronto EMS on 911. Not the same, I know, but still shows that they are paying for the service as well.

However, if you are correct that BCAS medics are volunteering to staff the CFL games then that should change.. But I somehow doubt they do.

Cheers,

John

I just returned from a vacation to BC. During my travels I saw one sign with the slogan, "Save Our Paramedics". When I got home last night I flipped on the BC - Hamilton CFL game. Imagine how stunned I was to see a BCAS unit in the background serving standby at the game. In my experience this is a volunteer posting and also that the CFL can not conduct a game without EMS standby.

If the medics of BCAS want to be noticed, perhaps not showing up to a game would put a national spotlight on their situation. Not to mention probably piss of a few thousand fans.

[WolfmanHarris]

I would be surprised if a CFL game was a volunteer post. I'm sure they service is being paid to provide coverage for the game. I am not from BC and therefore am not certain on this... however, the area I work in has an international speedyway and 'Mosport' pays my service (quite well, I might add - somewhere in the neighbourhood of $185/hour last I heard) to ensure there are ALS units there on every race and practice day.

A lot of the major sporting events in Toronto (Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Raptors, Toronto Football Club, etc.) as well as special events all hire private first aid companies to staff their events. In the event of a 'call' they call Toronto EMS on 911. Not the same, I know, but still shows that they are paying for the service as well.

However, if you are correct that BCAS medics are volunteering to staff the CFL games then that should change.. But I somehow doubt they do.

Cheers,

John

I think Kat meant volunteer like "paid duty" for cops. Not a scheduled shift, but one you bid for, meaning you're "volunteering" to take the extra work. That's how events like that are covered with my service.

[jw-c152]

I think Kat meant volunteer like "paid duty" for cops. Not a scheduled shift, but one you bid for, meaning you're "volunteering" to take the extra work. That's how events like that are covered with my service.

10-4. Didn't read it like that, but that makes sense.

[WolfmanHarris]

10-4. Didn't read it like that, but that makes sense.

I could be wrong, but I hope not. The last thing BCAS needs is member giving their services away for free right now.

I hope the ESA has forced them to be there, otherwise they need to get the heck away from there. Here some of the private event coverage companies cover Roger's Centre and the ACC so maybe that's what was going on, but I doubt it. I trust Kat to recognize BCAS when he sees it.

[tniuqs]

I just returned from a vacation to BC. During my travels I saw one sign with the slogan, "Save Our Paramedics". When I got home last night I flipped on the BC - Hamilton CFL game. Imagine how stunned I was to see a BCAS unit in the background serving standby at the game. In my experience this is a volunteer posting and also that the CFL can not conduct a game without EMS standby.

If the medics of BCAS want to be noticed, perhaps not showing up to a game would put a national spotlight on their situation. Not to mention probably piss of a few thousand fans.

I know EMS standby is requirement for any major event (and should be there to protect the public, in any case) if a "for profit event" then the organizer pay's, and big bucks in AB, but a volunteer organization as in "cops for cancer rally" a completely different story, it has been my personal experience that the "supervisory staff" are usually "PICKED" to be at these types of special events .... yup I know your shocked.

I don't believe that CUPE would get the positive support of the taxpayers if they used this strategy to accomplish their goals in fact it would backfire and that is not what CUPE needs (bigger fish to fry) that a ball game.. in BC there are very few "Private EMS Operators" to provide coverage standby at major events as BCAS is the ONLY sanctioned provider in the province.

What is at issue is if they (the medics) dare answer their phone on a day off and don't go to work .... negative repercussions could result from the Labour board, akin to paid indenturement.

cheers

Edited July 12, 2009 by tniuqs