BC PARAMEDICS & DISPATCHERS RATIFY NEW COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
For Immediate Release
BC PARAMEDICS & DISPATCHERS RATIFY NEW COLLECTIVE AGREEMENT
Union vows to continue fight for fully functioning Ambulance Service
RICHMOND, B.C., February 14, 2023
The Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC (APBC)’s 4,600 Paramedics and Emergency Medical Dispatchers have voted 96.1% yes to ratify a new three-year collective agreement which was reached on January 6, 2023, between the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) and the Ambulance Paramedics & Ambulance Dispatchers Bargaining Association of BC (APADBA).
This new agreement has addressed foundational changes to wages, benefits, and staffing models across the province. “We’re happy that many of our core concerns are being addressed and that our members trusted our executive board and negotiations committee to bring them a fair deal,” says APBC President Troy Clifford. “This was a collaborative agreement. The Provincial Government, their bargaining agent HEABC, BCEHS senior leadership, and the Health Minister’s office all came together to get this done. The fact that we needed to invest in paramedic services, prehospital care, and public safety was obvious. We’re glad that we could sit at the table together and put our members and patients first.
“While we’re happy that many issues have been recognized, others are ongoing, and we will be advocating to address those challenges. We want to assist communities in improving staffing and response times across BC, we still have a long way to go in providing improved mental health and wellness support to our members, and we want to advocate for our profession moving forward in many different ways.”
The APBC has been sounding the alarm about an ongoing staffing crisis for years while being on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the toxic drug crisis, and seeing many ambulances sit empty in every area of the province.
“There is no doubt we were able to come together with the government and get a fair agreement for our members, but we are not done fighting for our patients. We want a fully functioning ambulance service in every community of this province, where every citizen, no matter where they live, gets assistance in a timely manner. We are committed to that, no matter what, and this agreement will lay a good foundation for us to build on.”
The APBC represents nearly 5,000 ambulance paramedics, emergency dispatchers, and call-takers across BC. They have been without a contract since April 2022.
About Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC:
Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of British Columbia is the union organization that represents the 4,600+ Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of the province of British Columbia, Canada. Please visit www.apbc.ca for more information
Media Inquiries (call, text, or email):
Troy Clifford, APBC President, at (250) 319-4713 or troy.clifford@apbc.ca