The first-ever strike by Essex-Windsor EMS workers is a step closer after another round of talks ended without a deal Friday. CUPE Local 2974, representing about 340 paramedics and support staff, and the County of Essex remain at odds, with a strike possible as early as October 9. The union says it’s preparing for potential job action and expects to announce its next steps Monday, while maintaining a strike can still be avoided if an agreement is reached. Under the essential services agreement, six ambulances would be removed from service during the day and three overnight during a strike, while the community paramedicine program would be suspended. Krista Hillier is a community paramedic with over 19 years of service and says crews are already stretched thin, with ambulances frequently tied up by hospital offload delays and high call volumes. She says losing ambulances during a labour disruption would have a significant impact on service. “I will definitely not be able to do my job because we won’t have enough ambulances. So we’ll end up going into that ‘code red’, ‘code black’, because the call volume is still going to remain high and we’re going to have the lack of ambulances,” said Hillier. “I don’t think a lot of people understand that on a daily basis we probably run low on ambulances to begin with because we have staffing issues and sometimes we’re down a truck or down two trucks.” Hillier says the recently introduced Medical Priority Dispatch System, which categorizes 911 calls by severity to determine how quickly crews are dispatched, is creating challenges as staff adjust to the new process while facing a possible strike. “They still have to work out a lot of kinks. So I think that has been poorly timed because especially what’s going on right now with a potential strike, I think everybody’s stress levels are very high and our call volume is absolutely high. It always is. We are probably the highest call volume per capita,” she said. While she says workers are still hoping for a negotiated settlement, Hillier argues there are longstanding concerns that can’t be ignored. “These paramedics are serious, we are burnt out, we are understaffed,” said Hillier. “There is a lot of issues that need to be resolved and we need to have things better for us.” The County says it has offered competitive wage increases and binding arbitration to avoid a strike. The union says it narrowed the wage gap and proposed alternatives to reach a deal, but the County refused to move on remaining issues. It also argues the County’s wage comparisons exclude advanced care paramedics, who the union says are among the lowest-paid in Ontario. CUPE Local 2974 says its members remain on the job and residents should continue calling 911 for medical emergencies. The union is also calling on supporters to attend Essex County Council on October 7 as the potential strike deadline approaches. -With files from AM800’s Meagan Delaurier
