VANCOUVER - Two days of talks are expected to begin today between the BC Ambulance Service and CUPE 873, the union representing the province’s striking ambulance paramedics.

B.C.’s 3,500 paramedics have been on strike since April 1, after negotiations broke off in March.

According to CUPE, non-monetary issues are to be discussed today while wages will be considered tomorrow.

When the talks were announced last week, CUPE BC President Barry O’Neill said the parties were “close” in a number of areas, although monetary issues had not yet been discussed.

“We have moved the parties ahead and they are meeting, which is what we set out to do … now there is an opportunity for the employer to bring this to a successful conclusion with a fair collective agreement,” said O’Neill in last week’s press release. A spokesperson for the union was unavailable for comment yesterday.

O’Neill had been meeting with Ministry of Health Associate Deputy Minister Stephen Brown to find common ground between the parties to bring them back to the bargaining table.

Union demands include a move towards wage parity with other emergency responders, a multi-year contract, faster response times and increased staffing levels.

The union’s last tabled wage request was a seven-per-cent annual increase over three years. The employer was offering a three-per-cent increase in a one-year deal.

The Ambulance Service said it would not be commenting to the media ahead of the talks. The service also declined comment when asked for an interview about the strike last month.

However, a spokesperson referred to a May 14 release that contains information about the strike, including a broad statement on wages:

Paramedics, similar to nurses, teachers, social workers and public service employees, work extremely hard and provide a valuable service to the public. However, government must ensure that paramedic wage increases are fair and reasonable and in line with what has been provided to other provincial public sector workers.

The union’s tactics throughout the strike have been limited by an Essential Services Order, which requires service levels to be maintained for all dispatch, emergency ambulances response and non-emergency patient transfer.

Last month, the order was filed in the Supreme Court of B.C., meaning paramedics and the union can be held in contempt of court for defying its directives.

Garrett Zehr reports for The Tyee.