Does your service do this? Ontario paramedics rejoice...

[vs-eh?]

Ottawa Paramedics Win Meal Break Rights

[May 18, 2006 05:32 PM]

In an arbitration decision released yesterday, The Ottawa Carleton Public Employees Union, Local 503 CUPE, achieved a major victory that will improve the working conditions of Paramedics both in the City of Ottawa and potentially across Ontario. Ruling on a grievance filed by Local 503 after the City refused to provide Paramedics with regular meal breaks, Arbitrator Joseph Potter held that the Employment Standards Act required the City to ensure that no Paramedic works more than five consecutive hours before being given a one half hour meal break that is free from any interruption.

Local 503 President Jim Robillard stated that the Union went to arbitration to ensure that Paramedics received the same rights as any other worker in Ontario. “Paramedics work to save lives every day in difficult and stressful conditions. They deserve an opportunity every shift to relax and eat their meal without fear of interruption” Robillard said.

The granting of meal breaks to Paramedics was vigorously opposed by the City of Ottawa which suggested that any additional resources made available to the ambulance service would be used to reduce response times rather than improve working conditions for Paramedics. Local 503 Vice President, Brian Madden, said that the position of the City was simply “unacceptable.” Madden went on to say that “Paramedics in Ottawa are dedicated individuals who work hard in an underfunded and understaffed system. Better ambulance service in Ottawa will not be achieved by depriving Paramedics of their rights.”

As a result of Arbitrator Potter’s decision, Paramedics in Ottawa will be entitled to two paid and uninterrupted meal breaks in every twelve hour shift. Additionally, Ottawa Paramedics will be receiving some form of individual compensation as a result of the City’s past failure to respect the terms of the Employment Standards Act.

For Further information contact:

John McLuckie Jewitt Morrison and Associates

Legal Counsel for Local 503

Tel: 1-877-809-8484

email: jmcluckie@jewittmorrison.ca

Comments? For those that don't know, Ottawa EMS is probably the second largest EMS service in Ontario. Likely in the top 5 largest (excluding province wide services) in the country.

[vs-eh?]

I'm going to post my comments before I forget/fall asleep...

This is obviously going to be precedent setting across the province. Expect basically all service unions to follow suit.

An issue that I can readily see (I haven't see the exact stipulations on these "breaks") is that they require one 30min break after working 5 consecutive hours...So what does that mean? Probably that if a crew is in the station 2 hours into their shift, they can be put on their break, if it is not that busy. It just says no more than 5 consecutive hours. The next one at 7.5 hours into there shift and boom, basically done for a 12 hour shift. Now what if either of these breaks lasts longer than 30mins? Say you are put on a break at 9am (7am-7pm shift). You don't end up going mobile again, thus "working" for an hour or 2. Does the 5 hours consecutive work start from after the assigned 30 min break (9:30am) or does it start when you go mobile again (say 11am)? You could see how potentially that could make a significant difference.

And how would they handle off-load delays with total in-between time > 5 hours? What about OT, does that take into account the 5 consecutive hours too? Are you just paid for it? Currently in my service, if you work 1.5 hours of end of shift OT, you are entitled to an extra lunch which is obviously just paid out.

My service has various lunch "rules" as well, which are often massaged a bit. The Ottawa thing, depending on how it pans out in practice could be quite interesting.

[hammerpcp]

This is wonderful news! Thanks for posting it VS-eh?

My service currently has policies and procedures in place outlining how meal breaks should be allotted and under what circumstances etc.

To paraphrase: a crew will be assigned their lunch break at a station/hospital/or other acceptable facility 3.5-5.5 hrs into their shift. If an emergency call comes in during this time the crew still needs to respond. The crew will be assigned their second meal break 3.5-5.5 hours after the end of the first break. If a crew is seven hours into their shift without a meal break they will notify dispatch and the east supervisor, who will then make arrangements (if possible) to have the crew placed at a base and have another ambulance roam the vicinity within one kilometer of the base for half an hour. If two calls come in during this time lunch has to wait. We have been filling out missed meal break forms for about two years now every time we missed a meal (which is not infrequent), and just recently dispatch and management have all of a sudden been putting forth great effort to get us our breaks.

If this was not written in English I apologize. It’s been a long day. I will add/edit, maybe later, not now.

[Scaramedic]

C'est des nouvelles merveilleuses ! Merci pour la signaler Contre-hein ?

Mon service a actuellement des politiques et des procédures décrivant en place comment des coupures de repas devraient être réparties et dans quelles circonstances etc...

Pour paraphraser : un servir d' équipier sera assigné à leur pause de midi à un station/hospital/or l'autre service acceptable 3.5-5.5 heures dans leur décalage. Si un appel d'urgence entre pendant toujours ce temps les besoins de servir d' équipier de répondre. Le servir d' équipier sera assigné à leur deuxième coupure de repas 3.5-5.5 heures après que l'extrémité de la première coupure. Si un servir d' équipier est sept dans leur poste sans coupure de repas ils informeront l'expédition et le surveillant est, qui prendront alors des arrangements (si possible) pour avoir le servir d' équipier placé à une base et pour faire errer une autre ambulance la proximité à moins d'un kilomètre de la base pour une demi-heure. Si deux appels entrent pendant ce déjeuner de temps doit attendre. Nous avions rempli hors des formes manquées de coupure de repas pendant environ deux années maintenant chaque fois que nous avons manqué un repas (qui n'est pas peu fréquent), et juste récemment expédition et la gestion ont toute la soudain mettant en avant le grand effort de nous obtenir nos coupures. Si ceci n'était pas écrit en anglais je faites des excuses.

Il est été une longue journée. Je volonté add/edit, peut-être plus tard, pas maintenant.

Actually you wrote it in French Hammer, but admin translated it for you.

Paix,

Marty

:thumbleft:

[Dustdevil]

Hammer is très sexy when she speaks en Français! :love4:

[akroeze]

Hammer is très sexy when she speaks en Français! :love4:

If I'm not mistaken, hammer is a he... not a she

[Lithium]

You would be mistaken. :wink:

peace

[Ridryder 911]

Yeah, she keeps her gender symbol as a male. Congrats on geting such a great work benefit ! ...

R/r 911

[akroeze]

You would be mistaken. :wink:

peace

Alrighty then, I can't be faulted for someone else's false advertising

[Dustdevil]

Yeah, she keeps her gender symbol as a male.

Really? I thought it just meant she had short hair. :?