Norm Macdonald MLA                                              Columbia River – Revelstoke

MEDIA RELEASE

For immediate release

November 3, 2009

Macdonald speaks out against bill that imposes contract on paramedics

VICTORIA – While debating Bill 21, the Ambulance Services Collective Agreement Act, 2009, Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald spoke out strongly against the legislation that will impose a contract on ambulance paramedics ending a seven month long dispute.

Paramedics have been bargaining for improved working conditions, increased on-call and stand-by pay, and improvements to the challenges of recruitment and retention of rural members.

“Paramedics are the people we depend upon at the most difficult times of our lives,” said Macdonald in the Legislature.  “We depend on paramedics when a child is choking.  We call when a senior is having heart attack.  We call after a motor vehicle accident.

“We depend on these people to come and do things that we are unable to do.  At that moment there is nobody more important than the person that comes and provides comfort and uses their skill to help somebody that’s injured.”

Macdonald spoke passionately about the work done by rural paramedics in his communities, reminding the House of the sacrifice particularly made by Kim Weitzel and Shawn Currier from Kimberley.

“The community of Kimberley knows more than many other communities the dangers that go along with being a paramedic.  Kimberley lost two paramedics in the Sullivan mine disaster and I can tell you that in Kimberley the depth of feeling on this issue is huge.”

Macdonald read into the record excerpts from a number of letters that he has received from paramedics across the province and from their family member, including this passage from George Weitzel, the husband of fallen paramedic Kim Weitzel.

“I would like to address the on-call pay issue as one that I am personally familiar with and one that I believe demonstrates the disregard the provincial government has shown to our paramedics.

“I would like you to imagine that your spouse is a fully trained paramedic who has a schedule that may include as many as five on-call shifts per week. They can be either ten-hour day shifts or a 14-hour night shifts.

"Your spouse carries a pager at all times when on call and must be at the ambulance station in uniform and ready to roll in ten minutes. They are not free to go out for dinner, go grocery shopping or do anything that would prevent them from responding in ten minutes.

"Now, try to imagine going to sleep, when you're on call, with a pager inches from your ear. Imagine being paged at three or four in the morning and quickly putting on the uniform and being out the door into a cold winter night, the adrenalin pumping hard.

“Now imagine receiving $2 per hour for being on call. There is not another emergency service provider in the province who receives such a pittance for being on call.

"The present treatment of our paramedics is shameful, and the failure of our government to recognize the importance of a well-trained and motivated ambulance service is a disservice to us all.”

 – George Weitzel, Kimberley

Macdonald has committed to continue to fight for improved working conditions for paramedics despite Bill 21.

“I know that the opposition will continue to fight on this issue, that we will do what we need to do to get the BC Ambulance Service so that it works not only in rural British Columbia but in all parts of the province,” continued Macdonald.

“I want to say again to paramedics just how much respect I have for the work that paramedics have done.  I think this piece of legislation treats paramedics with a manner of contempt that most British Columbians find offensive.”

-- 30 --