FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 26, 2001

Ambulance paramedics ratify 24.65% increase

HAMILTON – Members of Local 277 of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union have ratified a collective agreement with Halton-Mississauga Ambulance that will increase wage rates by 24.65 per cent over the next three years.

The rates increase by 17.5 per cent April 1, 2001, and by an additional 3 per cent in each of the next two years.

"This essentially brings Halton-Mississauga ambulance paramedics to wage parity with their counterparts in York, after a very long struggle," said Brenda Wilson Young, chair of the union’s bargaining team.

"It was important to get parity. We had earlier negotiated an increase of 22.5 per cent but our members rejected it and sent us back to the bargaining table," she said.

The start rate for a primary care paramedic goes from $18.84 an hour at the expiry of the old contract to $22.14 effective April 1, 2001, to $22.80 April 1, 2002 and to $23.49 April 1, 2003. The top rate for the same classification goes from $20.01 to $23.51, $24.22 and $24.94 on the same dates.

Advanced care paramedics, who have more training and are authorized to perform more complex procedures, will be paid 12 per cent above the primary care rate. The previous differential was about 6 per cent. They will see their pay rise from $21.27 an hour under the old contract to $26.33 this year, $27.12 next year and $27.93 the following year.

Other gains in the contract will see the paramedics go into the OMERS pension plan. There are also benefit improvements.

New job security provisions will see the employer paying for training to bring more paramedics to the advanced care level.

The contract covers 124 full-and 33 part-time ambulance paramedics.

- 30 -

For further information:

Katie FitzRandolph (OPSEU Communications) (416) 448-7440; cell (416) 788-9057;e-mail: kfitzrandolph@opseu.org
Brenda Wilson Young (905) 785-1222