The union representing B.C.'s ambulance dispatchers and paramedics has reached an agreement in principle with the Health Employers’ Association of British Columbia to improve services for employees and ensure fair and affordable compensation.
The agreement in principle is subject to ratification by the approximately 4,500 paramedics and dispatchers across the province.
The Ambulance Paramedics and Ambulance Dispatchers Bargaining Association — represented by the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 873 — is the latest public sector employee group to reach an agreement in principle with the provincial government.
Agreements between the province and its 334,000 unionized public sector workers are set to expire over the next year. So far, about 226,000 (about 68%) of them have ratified a collective agreement, according to a spokesperson from the Ministry of Finance.
For public sector workers, things like the security of a three-year term, wage increases of 2% per year, and conditional funding to address labour market challenges due to technology and modernization are all on the line.
The government and provincial public sector employers spend about $30.4 billion on compensation for public sector employees every year — more than half of the province’s budget.
