Paramedics/Macdonald call for arbitrator

By CAROLYN GRANT

Kimberley Daily Bulletin

September 11, 2009

BC Ambulance Paramedics still on strike after five and a half months, are calling for an independent arbitrator to be appointed to try to resolve issues between the employer and union.

Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald dropped by Kimberley’s ambulance station on Thursday, to express support and join in the call for an arbitrator.

He met with union members and spoke to them on the lack of progress with negotiations.

Macdonald is concerned about ambulance service, especially in rural communities.

“Too often I hear stories of rural paramedics choosing to move to the lower mainland to work or leaving the profession altogether and this can make it very difficult to get highly trained paramedics to fill the shift at rural stations,” said Macdonald.

“With a very low on-call and stand-by rate of pay, it just doesn’t make aconomic sense for trained paramedics to work in rural communities.”

Macdonald says the lack of negotiations is part and parcel of a lack of respect shown to the paramedics over the course of the strike.

“The government has been able to make up rules as to how this strike proceeds.  Every avenue the nion tries to take is blocked.  The government just sits back and leaves it alone.”

Union rep Grant Farquhar says there has been no appreciable bargaining since the June cabinet shuffle after the election.

“We had made a few small inroads with the previous minister.  With the new cabinet, those agreements become obsolete.”

Farquhar says it is his belief that the government wants to lump the paramedics in with nurses and teachers and other public sector employees, all of whom will begin negotiations just after the Olympics.
“From our perspective we are different than other public employees.  We want to get our negotiations done before the Olympics.  Things are going to be a little lean in this province post-Olympics.”

A request has been made to the Minister of Labour by the provincial union to have an arbitrator appointed, but in a letter from union president John Strohmaier to members he said that it appeared that the Minister won’t act unless the request comes from both side.  There has been no indication that the employer will join in the call for an arbitrator, Farquhar said.