After 6 months of negotiations failed to resolve chronic staffing challenges at Essex-Windsor EMS, last week CUPE 2974 requested a No Board report from the Ontario Ministry of Labour, bringing the possibility of legal strike action closer.
“We’ve been at the table for months, worked through a conciliator, and repeatedly sought opportunities to ensure Council understood what was at stake, but we’re still fighting for the working conditions needed to stabilize Essex-Windsor EMS and protect the emergency medical service our community depends upon,” said James Jovanovic, a paramedic with 17 years of experience and president of CUPE 2974, representing 340 paramedics, logistics and support staff.
“This bargaining round is about keeping experienced paramedics in the profession, supporting their mental health, and ensuring residents receive the emergency care they deserve.”
Earlier this year, CUPE 2974 members voted unanimously to authorize strike action, if necessary, a move driven by ongoing recruitment and retention challenges and wages that lag comparable ambulance services and other first responders.
Essex-Windsor EMS responds to more than 60,000 emergency calls every year, yet staffing has not kept pace with growing demand. The result has been increasing pressure on paramedics and longer response times for some of the community’s most critical emergencies.
The average career length of a paramedic in the service is just seven years, reflecting the significant toll the work can take. Among CUPE 2974 members:
- 25% report experiencing PTSD or depression
- 28% report suffering from insomnia
“We’re facing real challenges that don’t just affect our members and their loved ones but every resident who depends on emergency medical care on their worst day,” said Jovanovic. “That’s why we’ve brought forward reasonable improvements that will help paramedics stay in the profession and build a sustainable ambulance service for the future.”
Today the Ministry issues the No Board report, starting a 17-day countdown before either party is in a legal strike or lockout position. CUPE 2974 is hopeful that this latest move will lead council and management to act to solve the challenges facing paramedics when bargaining resumes on August 5.
Earlier this month, the Ontario Labour Relations Board issued a decision establishing the essential service levels that would apply during any labour disruption. The parties must now incorporate the Board’s ruling into the final essential services agreement. Once implemented, its terms would result in an overall service reduction of approximately 20% while maintaining essential emergency ambulance coverage.
According to Jovanovic, that reduction would include reducing some front-line ambulances, suspending Community Paramedicine and some first-response vehicle operations, while logistics and other support staff would be fully withdrawn.
“We became paramedics to respond to emergencies, not walk picket lines,” said Jovanovic. “We have done everything reasonably possible to avoid reaching this point. Residents deserve an ambulance service that can recruit and keep experienced paramedics. There is still time to secure that future, but it will require Council and management to act at the bargaining table.”
