Paramedic pay rates — what are they really?
Following the introduction of legislation to force paramedics back to work, the province will establish a commission of inquiry to help resolve the long stand-off between the government and workers.
While the government claims that full-time parametics earn between $64K and $91K per year, MLA Macdonald says that they “get paid less than Tim Horton’s workers.”
Macdonald speaks out against bill that imposes contract on paramedics.
by Norm Macdonald MLA.
While debating Bill 21, the Ambulance Services Collective Agreement Act, 2009, Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald spoke out strongly against the legislation that will impose a contract on ambulance paramedics ending a seven month long dispute.
Paramedics have been bargaining for improved working conditions, increased on-call and stand-by pay, and improvements to the challenges of recruitment and retention of rural members.
“Paramedics are the people we depend upon at the most difficult times of our lives,” said Macdonald in the Legislature. “We depend on paramedics when a child is choking. We call when a senior is having heart attack. We call after a motor vehicle accident.
“We depend on these people to come and do things that we are unable to do. At that moment there is nobody more important than the person that comes and provides comfort and uses their skill to help somebody that’s injured.”
Macdonald spoke passionately about the work done by rural paramedics in his communities, speaking specifically about the challenges faced by paramedics in Invermere.
“Invermere is a community that is hugely expensive to live in, and yet, for most of the time that paramedics are working, they get paid less than Tim Horton’s workers. This legislation does nothing to make this a reasonable job for paramedics in Invermere.”
Macdonald has watched as paramedics have left small rural communities to move to larger centres to work. Many paramedics have simply left the profession because the working conditions are so poor.
“I know that the Opposition will continue to fight on this issue, that we will do what we need to do to get the BC Ambulance Service so that it works not only in rural British Columbia but in all parts of the province,” continued Macdonald.
“I want to say again to paramedics just how much respect I have for the work that paramedics have done. I think this piece of legislation treats paramedics with a manner of contempt that most British Columbians find offensive.”
Victoria
November 4, 2009
Norm Macdonald MLA
Columbia River – Revelstoke
I think that the pay rates and statistics shown by the Ministry of Health do not represent the wage and benefit for the average Paramedic. These numbers are for full time Paramedics.
The majority of positions open to Paramedics are part time with lower pay and less or no beneftis. Yet, these folks continue work and save lives. Shame on the Ministry for playing politics with our Paramedics!
Its seems that the paramedics make good money as is, why are they fighting for more? It only makes sense that they should have to work overtime, they are paramedics! I say give them benifits if they stay for 5 years. Its ridiculas they have been on strike for this long.
Ski Guide,
Maybe you should look at how much they pay these paramedics before opening your mouth especially the on-call rate. I hate strikes! I hate publicly funded sectors that demand more money and at the same time demand lower taxes. I hate partisan opportunism that blames short falls in funding on the government. I hate folks that choose a vocation knowing exactly what their wages are going to be going in and then bitching and striking after the fact. HOWEVER, paramedics save lives, and even though I do and always will spit on the ground at EVERY picket line I see, I support the paramedics 100% in their fight for fair pay. They deserve it. The rhetoric that gets tossed around so freely in other vocations and publicly funded sectors has created an environment where comments like yours seem to be fitting for the paramedics, but this is a fight for fair compensation, that’s all; don’t confuse them with striking auto-worker (just for one example).
One day, (God forbid) you may need someone to attend to you as you cling to life. I think at that moment you will hope that the person at your side is the right candidate for the job and not just someone willing to work for $20/hour. God bless the guys that do an excellent job for us now and don’t get the compensation they deserve.
Support the Paramedics!