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BC paramedics push to become essential service

Petition needs 10 per cent of eligible voter signature

A group of BC paramedics have launched a petition to be included with police and fire as essential services.

The petition, started by Victoria paramedic Josh Henshaw, proposes a draft bill to amend the Fire and Police Services Collective Bargaining Act to include ambulance paramedics.

The amendment would give ambulance paramedics the same collective bargaining rights as firefighters and police officers.

"When you call 911 they ask if you want fire, police or ambulance, right? They're all sort of even as far as I am concerned in terms of what they do for the community. It doesn't seem to make sense that we have two that are protected by legislation and one that isn't," says Henshaw.

Currently, paramedics fall under the multi-union Facilities Bargaining Association, a unit that negotiates collectively with the Health Employers Association of BC.

Under the proposed amendment, negotiation disagreements would end with binding arbitration. Ambulance paramedics would also lose the right to strike.

"We're already seeing ambulance wait times that are longer," says Henshaw. " That's why paramedics are petitioning to lose the right to strike. We don't want to strike, we don't want to have to leverage ourselves that way. We would rather have this legislation that gives us binding arbitration to solve any contract disputes."

The petition is a citizen's initiative campaign; the same campaign that brought down the HST.

If successful, the petition and draft amendment are sent to a Select Standing Committee of the Legislative Initiatives to consider the legislation. From there, the committee will either recommend the draft bill be sent to the legislature or will send the bill to the Chief Electoral Officer for an initiative vote.

To be successful, the petition must include the signatures of 10 per cent of registered voters in every electoral district in the province.

For Henshaw, that means 316,000 signatures before April 10. He says he hasn't encountered any opposition to his petition.

"We're getting almost unanimous support. Anyone who takes a minute to hear us out gives a signature."

Henshaw says that typically an ambulance station in an area like 100 Mile House will have anywhere from 25-35 staff —many, if not most, part time.

The last time paramedics went on strike in BC in 2009, the government temporarily declared it an essential service and ended the strike with back-to-work legislation.