Ambulance workers turn the tables on the back-to-work legislation
 

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/09111...ramedic_strike

VANCOUVER (CBC) - The B.C. Ambulance Service is urging residents throughout B.C. to call 911 only in life-threatening situations after a number of paramedics booked off their shifts with little notice Saturday.
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In a written release, the B.C. Ambulance Service said more than 50 paramedics booked off their scheduled shifts just prior to the shift start time.

On Saturday, 10 ambulances were out of service in Metro Vancouver and 10 more in the Fraser Valley.

Three were out of service in the Sea to Sky Corridor and no ambulances were staffed in Boston Bar, Hope, Agassiz or Pemberton.

Only one ambulance was available in Mission and Whistler.

The B.C. Ambulance Service says the move is likely a protest after members of the B.C. legislature pushed through a bill ordering B.C.'s 3,500 ambulance paramedics back to work last Saturday, ending a strike that started in April.

Lee Doney, the CEO of the B.C. Ambulance Service, said this degree of absenteeism has never happened before.

"I understand that paramedics are frustrated. Tempers are high because of the back-to-work legislation, but this is no way to protest. Putting people's lives at risk is no way to protest," he said.

However, John Strohmeier, the president of CUPE Local 873, said the union had nothing to do with the cancelled shifts.

"There is a pandemic going on right now. I suspect that any paramedics that may be symptomatic are probably following the advice of the province's chief medical officer and staying home," he said.

"So I don't think there's any concerted effort by paramedics here. It's just a question of there not being enough staff to begin with."

The B.C. Ambulance Service said low-priority calls would likely be delayed but all emergency calls would be handled on a priority basis.

People with minor injuries or illness were advised to visit their doctor's office or walk-in clinic.

Ugh, though I am not for the legislation that pushes them back to work, this is certainly not a way to fight back.

In fact, this is pretty fucked up that they would even think about risking people's lives in the name of "protesting". This certainly does not make me want to fight their cause when they are hurting the people they are suppose to help.

Lol... Why work when you get paid pennies?
Posted via RS Mobile

this is terrible
paramedics should get their raises... they seriously get paid shit for what they do

dont like it, find another job. Should of known before you started, you signed on knowing how much you get paid.

so i guess you'd rather die in a car accident than have them come save you, since they shouldnt work right?

+1

if they arn't getting paid why work?

You honestly think all doctors/nurses/health care workers are in it to do better for the world and save lives?

Pay these guys what they deserve (they arn't asking for an outrageous wage, they are just asking for STEADY pay, since they get paid by the CALL. Also if they are saving lives shouldn't this be enough to pay them more?)

Making legistlation to FORCE THEM from striking (lol essential service) is borderline unconstitutional, and proves that these guys NEED to get paid more.

I will gladly support the paramedic union. These guy's have been responsive in the past when my mother went into shock pre-death, and gave her a few more days to live so I can say my final goodbyes.

Also the raises are made so they keep up with INFLATION. So STFU if you think they are greedy.

...

dumbest

thing

ever.

anyways

they arent fighting just for raises, but work hours. there just arent enough ambulance paramedics to go around. but this is a tough one. how can the gov't help out if there arent enough ambulance paramedics? you cant expect them to suddenly clone ppl.

i am for fair wages, and if they are not being paid fairly then they should get just pay. i also remember when i was in the ambulance, after the getting out of the hospital, they mailed me an invoice for about 60 bucks, and the letter stated that they dont get paid for the service. if thats true then than really sucks, i gladly wrote them a cheque.

all i can think of that the gov't can do is create more incentives, market and advertise it more, make it more welcoming for ppl to consider being a paramedic for a career.


its just shitty timing with the economy and how businesses are all cutting back.

Agree, but they really have no other effective means of getting their message out there. What else can they do?

I agree with CRS. This is fucking stupid.

That doesn't justify it at all.

These people are trusted with essential services like saving lives and they want to fight back by saying "oh fuck these people, I want more pay first". I'm sorry, but that is fucked. There is no valid excuse to do such a thing when it is harming the very people that they depend on and vice versa.

So what else can they do?

You're not getting it.

You have terrible logic if you think this is the only thing they can do to protest. With questions like "what else can they do?" is like asking well since there is no viable option, this must be the course we should take! Are they so helpless that they are going to revert to 5 year olds and pull stupid as stunts like this that is uncalled for?

Harming the very people you depend on is NOT an answer and should never be an answer. This is why we live in a democracy, sure it has its downfalls but we vote for the guys that put up the legislature. Perhaps we should vote differently?

There are a million things they can do but doing this is never called for. But then again, I guess being shot would be better than getting tased here too.

I think you're not getting it.
What part of what I have said has suggested what they are doing right now was RIGHT?

I asked you what can they do instead? You have not provided an answer. Maybe because there is nothing else they CAN do.

It had been said over and over again, their union screwed themselves and they are now bitter. They were offered a better deal 4% year over year + signing bonus (during the economy was collapsing) union miscalculated and they rejected it.. so now they are ended up with nothing.

^^ What they can do instead? How about quit?

Who's going to replace them?

If they did decide to quit en masse, we'd be fucked. You can't exactly hire any Tom, Dick, or Harry to do their job.

Gotta go with the paramedics on this one. These guys are having their rights trampled on.

Their last decent chance of getting what they want is the Olympics. If there are no paramedics, there are no Olympics.


http://www.saveourparamedics.com


make sure you guys watch this, a documentary detailing all the issues the paramedics have.

http://vimeo.com/7176039



.

Check this out guys..

http://www.saveourparamedics.com/


Paramedics have came to my old high school and gave a talk, it was very eye opening how much they get screwed over.

Damn dutch, you beat me to it.

I feel for the paramedics and agree that they do deserve some sort of raise, however, this whole thing has been horribly mismanaged by their union

This article sums up pretty much how I feel
http://www.theprovince.com/business/...393/story.html

And for those who are wondering what's the pay structure like:

Think about this next time you crash your civic and lying in a ditch waiting for help:

I agreed with the paramedics throughout their dispute, but this tactic that they're taking now is despicable and doesn't deserve support from the public.. i had always assumed that they yearned to help people while trying to get what they want (which should have the full backing of the public) but what they're doing now is just playing with peoples lives