B.C.'s paramedic union to begin bargaining amid 'unprecedented staffing crisis'

B.C.'s ambulance paramedics and emergency dispatchers are hitting the bargaining table Monday to work on a new collective agreement aimed at fixing the struggling ambulance service.

The union representing paramedics says if a critical staff shortage and burnout among staff aren't immediately addressed, the service may not survive.

Troy Clifford, BC Ambulance Paramedics and Dispatchers president, said in a statement they're pushing for an agreement that addresses issues with attracting trained paramedics.

"We are in the middle of an unprecedented staffing crisis, ambulances are sitting empty across the province, and we are

seeing the effects of understaffing and poor wages now more than ever," Clifford said in a news release.

"We are bringing real solutions to the bargaining table and what we believe can fix the ambulance service and set us on a path forward where we can finally recruit and retain staff."

Earlier this month, hundreds of job postings for paramedics were put online as part of an "expedited process" meant to fill front-line jobs. It appears a lack of human resources personnel at the Provincial Health Services Authority caused a delay that prevented hundreds of new positions from being filled. 

BC Emergency Health Services confirmed with CTV News Vancouver it "agreed to a revised short-term provincial posting process to address current paramedic vacancies across the province in a timely manner…intended to expedite and streamline the hiring process."

Clifford acknowledged the recent hiring campaign, but said more work needs to be done to address burnout.

"The work environment is stressful and emotional even at the best of times, but with all these ambulances sitting empty,

our response times have turned from minutes to hours – it’s heartbreaking," he said.

"We are seeing our people burn out like never before, with over 30 per cent of our members either off work with mental health challenges or still coming to work while getting treatment for it."

Negotiations, which begin Monday, are expected to continue through the fall.

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Penny Daflos