Dispatchers sound the alarm at Queen’s Park

Sixty emergency communicators (ambulance dispatchers) from across the province brought their message for wage parity to Queen’s Park on May 5.

“We told the government loud and clear that public safety is at risk unless they solve the understaffing and underfunding of our centres,” said Patrick Fry-Smith, vice-president, OPSEU Local 201, at the Hamilton Central Ambulance Communications Centre (CACC).

Emergency communicators from London, Hamilton, Missisissauga, Barrie, Oshawa, Renfrew, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and the Medical Air Transport Centre (air ambulance dispatch) in Vaughan came to Queen’s Park to rally and lobby MPPs.

“I thought Monday was a great day,” said Dave Potts, steward, OPSEU Local 147 at the London CACC. “I thought we accomplished a lot.

“We got the attention of a lot more MPPs than were willing to listen to us before. And we got the attention of the media,” Potts said.

The story ran 24 times on radio and television. At least 16 newspapers across Ontario ran stories.

“It was a good education for MPPs and the media,” said Colette Cooke of OPSEU Local 313 at the Georgian CACC in Barrie. “Even though we’re an emergency service, the government has never told the public about the important work that we do.”

Also in attendance, showing their support were paramedics Jamie Ramage and Mario Posteraro of OPSEU’s Ambulance Division and Executive Board Members Pauline Tapping and David Chew.

Wages for emergency communicators in the OPS and the broader public service are $10-$20,000 below those at neighbouring fire and police dispatch centres. They also lag behind wages at Toronto’s CACC, even though it’s 100 per cent funded by the Ministry of Health.

The Ministry recently admitted to OPSEU that only 30 per cent of new hires are staying on the job at its CACCs. In other words, Ministry CACCs have a 70 per cent turnover rate.

After the 2002 strike, OPSEU learned that the government had covered up a key report by consultants the IBI Group. This report, which was paid for by the Ministry, recommended increasing wages to “reflect the current market and the complexity of communicator functions” in order to reduce the high staff turnover and attract qualified candidates.

“It’s quite clear what the government has to do,” said OPSEU President Leah Casselman at the communicators’ press conference. “It has to follow the recommendations of its own report and pay dispatchers what they deserve so Ontario can recruit and retain more of them to help save lives.”

Emergency communicators Patrick Fry-Smith, Sandy Edwards and Colette Cooke also spoke at the press conference.

“The stress level, the call volume and the geographical area that we’re responsible for have all increased,” said Colette Cooke of Local 313 at the Georgian CACC.

“Where are the improvements to the technology that we use? Where is the increase in trained and qualified staff? Where is the increase in our wages?” Cooke asked.

NDP MPP Peter Kormos, Niagara Centre and Liberal MPP Jim Bradley, St Catharines, condemned the Conservative government for not implementing its own report to solve the staffing crisis.

The communicators held separate meetings with NDP and Liberal MPPs at Queen’s Park.

NDP MPPs Marilyn Churley, Dave Christopherson, Peter Kormos, Shelley Martel and Michael Prue listened attentively to the communicators’ horror stories, asked questions and voiced their support.

Liberal MPPs Jim Bradley, Alvin Curling, Bruce Crozier, Pat Hoy, Dave Levac, Ted McMeekin, Sandra Pupatello, Steve Peters, and Dave Ramsay met with the communicators.

MPPs Dominic Agostino and Greg Sorbara couldn’t be there, but sent staff in their place. MPP Michael Gravelle met with Thunder Bay communicator Connie Raven later in the day.

The Liberal MPPs also voiced their support and showed an understanding of the issues. They stopped short of making any specific promises should they form the next government. They urged the emergency communicators to keep in touch with their local MPPs.

“We need to pay you what you deserve,” said Dave Levac, the Liberal MPP for Brant. “The government lie is that you get more with less. The truth is that you get less with less.”

The emergency communicators from London met with Conservative MPPs Helen Johns, Frank Mazilli, Bob Wood, and John O’Toole. Johns is also the Minister of Agriculture. The Tory MPPs said they would raise the dispatch issue at caucus.

The emergency communicators from Georgian met with two assistants to Jim Wilson, the Conservative MPP for Simcoe-Grey. Wilson is also the Northern Development and Mines Minister.

“With an election coming up, we’re going to keep up the pressure on the Conservatives and the opposition parties,” said Sandy Edwards, vice-president, OPSEU Local 302 at the Oshawa CACC. “We’re not going away.”

“We take our jobs seriously,” said Colette Cooke of the Georgian CACC. “All we’re asking is for the government to take our concerns as seriously as we take every 9-1-1 call that we answer 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.”

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