The Federation of Health and Social Services (FSSS-CSN), which represents the 3,500 paramedics in (Montreal) Quebec, is seeking the intervention of a mediator in negotiating their collective agreement, which expires on the 1st.Is April 2020.
Updated yesterday at 1:19 p.m.
Noting that it was in a “stalemate” in its talks with the government, the FSSS-CSN on Friday contacted the Ministry of Labor and appointed a coordinator to bring the parties closer together.
Due to the March 2020 epidemic, negotiations stalled for several months. The parties had earlier discussed the terms of reference, but the monetary issues were not resolved until the end of the summer of 2021.
Then, before the holiday season, negotiators tried to “lightning” in the hope of reaching an agreement in principle before Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, these one-on-one attempts without a negotiating committee failed. This process makes the union believe that it is now facing a stalemate.
“We asked for a large group resume after the holidays, and then there was radio silence,” [le gouvernement] Don’t call us back, “said Jean Gagnon, FSSS-CSN’s pre-hospital sector spokesman, in an interview with the Canadian Press.
In addition, we read in a press release Saturday morning that union strike orders should be “used in a timely manner.”
In a similar press release, Jean Gagnon lamented that “government representatives are closing the doors to union proposals” on “almost all issues.” He says paramedics lag far behind public safety and health network actors.
In an interview, he acknowledged that the union was demanding a “substantial pay rise” in addition to asking for a redistribution of the pay level for the paramedic position. Improvements that at the same time allow for better recruitment and improve labor retention.
Among other demands of paramedics, we want to reduce work overload of staff, eliminate shift schedules and improve health and safety conditions in the workplace.
With regard to strike orders, ambulance services must continue to operate at all times to ensure population safety. However, paramedics have implemented some stress strategies, including providing free ambulance transport. That is, regardless of their intervention or patient condition, the bill is sent entirely to the government.
In addition, paramedics began to refuse to perform certain functions, such as returning to their base of boarding ambulances during transportation of patients. They also refuse to enter the hospital emergency rooms and climb the hospital floors.
If the compromise attempt fails, the union plans to take its pressure further by asking the court to revise the required service parameters to force management staff in the strike attempt.
“At that point, we can strike the paramedics on the picket line and the managers will replace them,” he said. Gagnon suggested.
