Calgary EMS Workers going on strike

[the_only_turek_fan]

99% in favour as per QR77.

Don't get hurt!

[GrrlGoalie33]

I understand unions needing to get new contracts and strikes are an ok way of doing that, but EMS should be considered an essential service and should NOT be allowed to go on strike. They are the only emergency service in Alberta to not be an essential service.

[Slava]

A friend of mine who is EMS was saying that they've got transit supervisors to drive ambulances and management for the medical response portion of calls. I guess once you call they will come within 5 minutes during rush hour and 15 minutes during non-peak hours?

Its going to be made an essential service before the strike gets past 4 hours old though....

[fredr123]

QR77 link

Only 4 people voted against strike action.
EMS is not an essential service, so the paramedics are allowed to strike.
However, the provincial government has previously said it would take steps to ensure the paramedics are not able to strike, by setting up a disputes inquiry board for example.

[habernac]

I don't blame these guys one bit. They get paid dick for the unbelievable crap they have to do day in and day out.

[Thunderball]

Normally, I'd say not to worry, it'll be declared an essential service by the end of noon hour... but with Farmer Stelmach and his Band of Rubes, I dunno.

Regardless, I'm shocked that EMS hasn't already been declared an essential service. My stance is that anything that is funded heavily by taxpayer dollars should be declared an essential service and exempt from striking ability. Publically funded organizations tend to be monopolies... its not like there's another ambulance firm people can go support while this one is ironing out its problems.

I should add these guys do deserve a raise, and binding arbitration would definitely rule on their side... but holding the citizenry at ransom is a despicable tactic.

[mykalberta]

What are the pay rates being offered/current?

Thanks.

MYK

[GrrlGoalie33]

The city is offering them a raise, but IIRC they are offering 12% over three years and the union is demanding 30% over three years, also if memory serves, they are the highest paid EMT's in Canada already.

Sides are disputing the facts...

Robb said even if there is a walkout vote, the union won't be issuing a 72-hour strike notice any time soon and even if they did, the province has vowed to send the dispute to forced mediation.

http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/...51367-sun.html

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

What are the pay rates being offered/current?

Thanks.

MYK

http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+H...le+Pre+DIB.htm

A little old (three years) but I don't think they've had a contract since then. Sparks note version....EMT's range from 21.96 to 24.63, Paramedics from 23.74 to 31.15.

[jar_e]

Originally Posted by Frankster

The city is offering them a raise, but IIRC they are offering 12% over three years and the union is demanding 30% over three years, also if memory serves, they are the highest paid EMT's in Canada already.

That was the original propsal by the union...from a calgary herald article.

The city is offering a 12 per cent increase over the three years of the contract and a 10-cent increase in the hourly differential to 85 cents.
The union wants 18 per cent over three years, along with a retroactive market adjustment that would range between nine and 11 per cent.

[llama64]

Originally Posted by jar_e

http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+H...le+Pre+DIB.htm

A little old (three years) but I don't think they've had a contract since then. Sparks note version....EMT's range from 21.96 to 24.63, Paramedics from 23.74 to 31.15.

Give them a raise already!

[Harbourmouth]

Originally Posted by habernac

I don't blame these guys one bit. They get paid dick for the unbelievable crap they have to do day in and day out.

Calgary's EMT's are among the highest paid in Canada, and according to one of the Calgary news programs I watched in Calgary they average between 70-75K (Don't know if it's true or not though).

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Harbourmouth

and according to one of the Calgary news programs I watched in Calgary they average between 70-75K.

I wonder if that number is after factoring in overtime pay.

[Harbourmouth]

Originally Posted by fotze

Jar_e's numbers say $44,000 - $58,000.

Likely doesn't factor in overtime which they work some amounts at double-time. As far as i'm concerned, this is just another example of every Albertan in the province thinking they should make 30 dollars an hour.

[ken0042]

Yeah, but you cannot compare somebody who works 60 hours per week and their annual salary to somebody who works 40 hours. Just isn't a fair comparison.

As for them being the highest paid in the country, we are also in one of the most expensive economies too.

[Burninator]

Originally Posted by Harbourmouth

As far as i'm concerned, this is just another example of every Albertan in the province thinking they should make 30 dollars an hour.

What's wrong with that? Our economy is doing great, shouldn't we be getting paid more money?

[Harbourmouth]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Yeah, but you cannot compare somebody who works 60 hours per week and their annual salary to somebody who works 40 hours. Just isn't a fair comparison.

As for them being the highest paid in the country, we are also in one of the most expensive economies too.

Why? From January until the end of April I work a MINIMUM of 60 hours a week and don't get an extra penny for it. I'm getting pretty frustrated with people with about half the education level I have demanding to make as much as I do just because they live in Alberta. As far as i'm concerned, taking the numbers posted above (not mine the other ones), and applying the raise offered is a decent salary for an EMT. These guys aren't doctors and they aren't nurses. This smells of pure greed from a bunch of people who whenever you talk to them say they want to "help people".

[Harbourmouth]

Originally Posted by Burninator

What's wrong with that? Our economy is doing great, shouldn't we be getting paid more money?

Yes we should make more money. Not everyone should be making more than 50,000 a year though just because of the economy. Calgary transit is a perfect example. They drive a bus. I have more sympathy for the EMT, but given what they already make and the city proposed increase, a strike is ridiculous. Furthermore, threatening public safety just makes me even more against them.

[mykalberta]

What is the education, training etc that each need - I was under the assumtion that EMT was a 2yr SAIT/NAIT - what is a Paramedics, what is the difference between the 2?

Given 12.5 paid holidays/year which is average with 1990 working hours that that would mean excluding OT...

EMT's make 46367 - average high/low brackets
Paramedics make 54625 - average high/low brackets

So a 30% raise would equate:

EMT = 60277.1
Paramedics = 71013.15

Seems a smidge high for a 2 year degree especially when you get paid OT.

What are the OT working rules for both?

The jobs seems to be comaprable to alot of jobs with small amounts of extreme stress followed by long lulls of down time. And the Union as it should, is trying to make people believe that the job is that kind of stress all the time.

Inflation + 3-8% for a annual wage increase is what it should be.

MYK

[Slava]

Originally Posted by ken0042

I wonder if that number is after factoring in overtime pay.

According to my EMS friend, the $75k "average" includes overtime. I have no real vested interest in this (knock on wood), but if the city hired enough people then the OT costs would be down, and the wages drop along with that.