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Ambulance Divisional Executive
(2011-2013):

Jamie Ramage:	Chair
Carl Eichenberger:	Secretary/Treasurer
John Rinehart:	Director: Thames and Oxford County
Mario Posteraro:	Director: Hamilton, Brant County and Norfolk County
Brenda Wilson Young:	Director: Guelph/Wellington, Halton and Peel
Cory Schepers:	Director: Simcoe, Parry Sound, Bruce and Grey
Terry Baker:	Director: Frontenac, Lennox and Addington North and South, Kawartha and Northumberland
Darryl Taylor:	Director: Temagami and Manitoulin-Sudbury DSSAB
Patrick Fry-Smith:	Director: CACC
Brad Thomson:	Health and Safety

 

 

Formal response to the Ontario Professional Fire Fighters Association (OPFFA) initiatives:

Overview to date:
November 2008 - OPFFA & the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs (OAFC) issued a joint document entitled “Six minutes can save a life” March 2009 – The joint document was re-released as an update with the removal of the “Winnipeg model” reference.

December 2009 - Joint letter (CAW, CUPE, OPSEU and SEIU) to then Minister Bartilucci, requesting meeting re: “Six minutes can save a life”.

• July 2010 - Meeting with the OPFFA, CUPE and OPSEU.
• Fall 2010 – OPFFA flyer to its members
• Fall 2010 – Smitherman runs municipal platform on Fire/EMS merger
• Spring 2011 – OPFFA letter to Council(s)
• May 2011 – OPSEU”s response letter to Council
 

OPFFA appears to rely on three documents to substantiate their position on simultaneous dispatch an all life and limb medical calls:

• OPALS – Studied the outcome of people suffering an out of hospital “cardiac arrest”.
• Report on EMS field experience – Studies the safety of responders as well as the operational efficiency and effectiveness of Fire department responses to emergency medical incidents.
• Office of the Ontario Fire Marshall – Tiered response agreement template.

 

 

 

Next steps – Campaign: “Paramedics make the difference”
 

Purpose

• to educate and engage members,
• to educate and engage UTM councilors in meaningful discussions on community specific tiered response agreements, contrary to the OPFFAs ascertions.
• to promote Public Access Defibrillation
• to promote Citizen CPR

 

 

“sendaparamedic”:
 

• the site moderator was asked to remove any reference to “Union” from the face book site and twitter. Site has complied with the Divisions request to moderate the comments.
• Discussion in regards to the accountability and validity of social media sites and their content.
• The site(s) appear only to be an avenue of expression.
• Agreed that social media sites are simply a tool and that this specific site will allow access to readily available contacts during our campaign.
 

 

Annual bargaining workshop

Bargaining unit from Hamilton, Guelph, Wellington, Peel and Northumberland all participated in this year’s bargaining workshop at Toronto’s Delta Chelsea Hotel in Toronto.
Some of the topics covered included the economic outlook, ASCBA (essential services agreement) review, benefit costing, best language exercises, arbitration review and long term disability cost/benefit for employee vs employer paid.
 

 

Recent/relevant Arbitrations, Grievances or Mediations:
 

• Arbitrator Keller reinforces ASMP content and format: Brampton ASMP program
• Two arbitrated cases Sammy et all and Latimer (available on the OPSEU grievance data base) give guidance as to reasonable duration of an unpaid suspension during an investigation. Attention should be given to appropriate “justice and dignity” language.
• Red Light Traffic Violations:
1. If the employer demands payment for the violation from a member; payment should be paid then grieved.
2. If the employer disciplines a member on the basis of the red light traffic violation eg. Violation of the highway traffic act, the discipline should be grieved.
• Emergency Personal Leave (10 days non paid per the Employment Standards Act). Jurisprudence states EPL and “sick time” are for different reasons: Arbitrator R.L. Kennedy, December 4, 2006, Burlington Technologies and CAW Canada Local 525.
 

 

OMERS:

• Initial reports indicate that the Sponsors Corporation has approved a contribution in the sum of approximately $380.00/year from all OMERS participants to help fund the NRA 60 group: Police and Fire
• More information to follow.
 

 

Director’s reports

The following reports were delivered at the September Divisional Executive Meeting.

Peel
• Tactical medics have doubled in number to a total of 16
• New bariatric unit on the road....state of the art hydraulic lifting system...only 1 in Ontario
• 16 employees going to ACP school (if all successful PCP:ACP ratio will be close to 42%)
• Current contract expires Mar 31/12

Halton Region
• Conciliation on Aug 24th; a no board report was filed
• 7 grievances ranging from termination, loss of pay and excessive discipline scheduled for mediation on November 3.
• Hired 6 new F/T this year and 14 P/T this past June

Guelph/Wellington County
• Possible integration of some administration jobs at the management level.
• “Acting Supervisor”, a new roll for members, this is a management position outside the bargaining unit.
• Recent issue with a off duty Paramedic working as a Volunteer firefighter performing ALS skills when a BLS crew arrived scene. Management has implemented a policy, preventing this type of interaction.
• Erin: 120 day evaluation on the 1400-0200hr car enhancement out of the Fergus base expires mid October. Report to Council will follow. Currently the enhancement consists of a “loop” through Erin 3-4 times a day.

Grey County
• Currently in negotiations. Contract expires the end of this year.
• New tiered response agreement has reduced the type of medical call that fire responds to.
• Are in the process of converting a new ambulance into a bariatric unit. It will have a power stretcher and a tray, that extends and contracts, loading the stretcher.

Simcoe County
• Currently in negotiations.
• Contract expired on December 31, 2009.
• Meeting with the conciliator to book dates in October.
• Currently have 43 outstanding grievances. 28 of these are at stage 3 but only 7 have an arbitrator.
• Third class of ACP started this September. The first class has graduated successfully and has had their first attempt at the OSCE a few weeks ago.

Norfolk
• Scheduled for arbitration

Hamilton
• Received interest Arbitration award for first renewal CBA - April 01, 2009 to March 31, 2012.
• Arbitration pertaining to Meal Breaks (approx. 8000 in 2010) commences October 05, 2011.
Central issue is whether the employer is compliant with CA language where it must "endeavor" to provide meal breaks during certain time periods within the shift.

Temagami
• Currently negotiations are stalled
• Issue of contention; Manager working on the “cars”

Manitoulin-Sudbury DSSAB
• Contract expires December 31, 2011
• Team has been elected however, demand setting has not taken place
• Employer currently in bargaining with another DSSAB bargaining unit and wishes to delay bargaining until the new year

CACC
• Continue to meet with the employer to ensure that staffing levels are being brought up to the provincial standard.
• OPSEU has has a representative on committees to discuss the never ending topic of uniforms and chairs. We hope to have some prototypes out shortly for testing and feedback.

Health and Safety
• Ongoing work on guidance notes as detailed in last report.
• Next Sect 21 meeting scheduled Nov 30/11
Please contact your respective Director if you have any questions or require further information.