HALTON,
ONTARIO – Negotiations
for renewal of the
collective agreement
covering Halton Region
Land Ambulance
Paramedics has reached
an impasse over the
issue of wage and
benefits comparability
with other paramedics in
surrounding
jurisdictions.
“The
Region of Halton wants
ambulance paramedics to
have the same skills and
abilities as Toronto
ambulance paramedics but
refuses to pay Toronto
wages rates,” says OPSEU
Local 207 President
Seamus O’Connor.
Local
207 paramedics have been
without a contract since
Dec. 31, 2006.
With the
breakdown of
negotiations, the
outstanding issues have
been referred to
arbitration for
resolution.
In the
meantime, the union has
invited the Region of
Halton EMS
representatives to
mediate the outstanding
issues in an effort to
find common ground
without the delay and
expense associated with
arbitration.
“Our
members want and deserve
a timely agreement
containing wage rates
and benefits that
respects the important
and challenging work
they perform. We are
calling on the Region to
step up to the plate to
resolve the outstanding
issues in a timely
fashion,” says OPSEU
Staff Representative
Pati Habermann.
