Paramedics to be forced back

Legislation forcing paramedics back to work until after the 2010 Olympics was expected to pass yesterday or today.

“Indications are the government wants this to get through by the end of the week,” North Island NDP MLA Claire Trevena said Thursday morning.

The Liberal government introduced legislation this week called the “Ambulance Services Collective Agreement Act” which essentially imposes a settlement on paramedics until March 2010.

“Unfortunately, despite numerous attempts over the past seven months, the two sides have been unable to resolve their differences. The last offer made to the union was generous, given the difficult economic challenges we face as a province, and it is in keeping with what other public sector workers will receive in 2009-10,” Health Minister Kevin Falcon said in the Legislature earlier this week.

It’s not that generous, Trevena said, explaining that the settlement is a three-per-cent wage increase for all paramedics, even those making nothing but a $2 per hour stand-by rate while they wait for calls.

“For the people making $2 per hour, they make an extra six cents,” she said.

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