VANCOUVER - The provincial government should force an end to the ongoing labour dispute between the BC Ambulance Service and the paramedic’s union CUPE 873, said B.C. New Democratic Party leader Carole James.
“I think binding arbitration is time. The strike has gone on long enough,” James told reporters at the NDP provincial council in Vancouver Saturday morning.
“I think the government should be sitting down at the table calling in an independent arbitrator and getting back to the table,” she said.
During the election campaign, both the NDP and the B.C. Liberals largely avoided speaking about the strike.
But earlier this week, newly-appointed Health Services Minister Kevin Falcon publicly refused a request by CUPE 873 to impose arbitration onto the parties.
“I’m not going to interfere in this dispute between the BCAS and the paramedics’ union,” Falcon said in a written statement provided to The Tyee.
“I firmly believe that there is no reason the two sides can't return to discussions and reach a fair agreement that addresses paramedics concerns, while recognizing the economic challenges we face in government,” he said.
The most recent set of two-day talks between the parties broke down at the end of last week and no further negotiations have been scheduled.
Wages and contract length remain the key stumbling blocks in the dispute, which next week will enter its fourth month.
Falcon’s response also included accusations against the union executive for recent comments made after talks broke down.
“I'm concerned with some of the language being used by [union president John] Strohmaier – and I am hopeful he would not recommend his membership actively breaks the law by defying the essential services order,” he said.
“It is even more disappointing to hear the union threatening to place patients at extreme risk by breaking the essential services order to try and manipulate the outcome of negotiations.”
But James said the minister's recent public comments about the strike are detrimental.
“We should be back at the negotiating table and you know you don’t help solve a dispute by enflaming the situation, which is what the minister has done,” she said.
“It was a worry I had when Mr. Falcon went into this file -- that you’re going to see someone who was not going to work with people in the healthcare system and I think we’re seeing that now.”
Garrett Zehr reports for The Tyee.
5
Login or register to post comments
Curt
2 years ago
... monetary issues and
... monetary issues and contract length are the biggest barriers to reaching a collective agreement.
CUPE 873, which represents B.C. paramedics, initially sought a three-year-agreement with annual pay hikes of 7%.
The union's latest offer was for a three-year contract with a 3% wage increase in the first year, followed by 5% hikes for the remaining two years.
The government, represented by the B.C. Ambulance Service, recently presented a counter-offer of a one-year contract with a 3% increase.
This government recenty extended the contract with the BCNU and gave them a 3 year contract with 3% in each year. I don't see why they wouldn't offer the same here. Something dark about how this government is dealing with this particular contract. I can't imagine what is going to happen next year. Hopefully they will treat everyone the same. At least the workers aren't asking for a 52% increase like others have awarded themselves.
RickW
2 years ago
Privatization in the Works?
If one looks at everything this government does from the viewpoint of eventual privatization, it makes much more "sense". The ambulance service would be relatively easy to privatize, even though experience in other areas of healthcare demonstrates that, in the words of Kevin Falcon:
“It is even more disappointing to hear the union threatening to place patients at extreme risk ....”
it would be the government putting patients at risk if they DID privatize the service.
Curt
2 years ago
Threat?
The only threat to patients is the government, a good portion of the doctors, and the BCNU.
crh
2 years ago
you're right Rick
I agree that the usual slimey, back door methods of privatization are being used on our ambulance service. Take em out, one by one. After the ambulance service, then somebody else. It won't stop, and Carol needs to stop calling for our corporatist puppets to play nice. It ain't gonna happen.
RickW
2 years ago
CBC Cross Country Checkup
http://www.cbc.ca/checkup/this-week.html
Government & business in this country must be just a-chorklin'.......
The people will at some point rue the demise of effective unions -- and the whole painlful process will have to begin anew.