UPDATE: The Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC) has just announced a potential strike as contract negotiations with BC Emergency Health Services have stalled. The union, representing over 4,500 paramedics and dispatchers, warns that job action could become necessary if progress is not made.
Negotiations began in September 2023 but broke down before Christmas, according to an APBC statement released earlier today. President and Lead Negotiator Jason Jackson expressed deep concerns about the government’s commitment to the bargaining process.
“We are deeply concerned about what will happen if government fails to take these negotiations seriously,” Jackson stated, emphasizing the critical role paramedics play in filling gaps in the province’s healthcare system. He pointed out that many emergency rooms are currently closed due to staffing shortages, exacerbating the urgency of the situation.
The union highlighted alarming conditions: ambulances sitting unstaffed and hundreds of vacant positions across British Columbia. Jackson warned that unless there are significant improvements in wages, benefits, and mental health supports, the province will continue to lose skilled professionals, directly impacting community health services.
As part of their preparations for possible job action, APBC is actively establishing essential service levels for paramedics and dispatchers. “This is not where we expected or wanted to be,” Jackson reiterated, indicating the union’s reluctance to take such drastic measures.
The APBC is seeking enhanced mental health supports, protections against outsourcing work to non-union workers, and improved deployment models for rural areas. The situation remains tense, and the potential for strike action looms as the union pushes for necessary reforms.
Listeners can tune in to 1130 NewsRadio Vancouver for live updates on this developing story. The APBC has reached out to B.C.’s Ministry of Health for comments but has yet to receive a response.
Stay tuned as this story unfolds—paramedics and dispatchers are urging the public to recognize the critical nature of their work and the implications of a strike on community health services.
