Early Thursday morning, more than 300 paramedics from across Quebec blocked all entrances to the provincial Treasury Board at 875 Grande Allée, preventing employees from entering. This bold mobilization took place as the paramedics have been without a collective agreement for two years and 78 days, with bargaining at a standstill, and amid signals from the Fréchette government that any chance of a contract settlement will be pushed forward beyond the October provincial elections.
“We paramedics are fed up with contract talks being stalled once again because the government is abusing essential services provisions that reduce the impact of our strike to almost nothing. We have had it with not being recognized for the vital work we perform. We cannot accept that prehospital emergency care will once again suffer from a lack of personnel, leading to unacceptable wait times,” said Sébastien Gourre, president of the Brotherhood of Quebec Prehospital Workers (FTPQ), CUPE Local 7300, one of the unions participating in the blockade.
“The government is in the process of integrating us into a professional body to ensure better public safety. If that is really their intention, they should come back to the bargaining table and quickly reach a contract settlement that will ensure the stability of our workforce and continued services for residents,” concluded Sébastien Gourre.
