Paramedics with CUPE 4911 held a rally to mark the start of what they describe as the most critical round of bargaining in years, one that will determine whether Peterborough can stabilize and retain its paramedic service.
CUPE 4911’s roughly 180 paramedics provide emergency medical support to 150,000 people across Peterborough City and Peterborough County. The service is in a sustained crisis that requires significant structural changes.
Staffing and Mental Health Issues Creating Public Risk
There is a workforce crisis among paramedics across Ontario – but the challenges facing Peterborough are particularly acute. Approximately twenty percent of full-time paramedics in Peterborough are currently off work, with many on WSIB leave due to injury or occupational stress reflecting the toll of chronic understaffing, forced overtime, and workplace trauma.
Staffing and retention have also been a significant concern over the last few years. With approximately 150 open shifts in 2025 alone, hiring and retaining staff is a critical issue for the service. The inability to retain staff has led to ambulances being removed from the road, sometimes multiple in a day, and exposes the public to the risk of no ambulances being available when someone calls 911.
“In the last three years, the service has hired roughly 70 new paramedics, but during the same timeframe over 50 have left for jobs elsewhere or exited the field entirely. Right now, we are losing on average 17-18 paramedics a year. You can’t fill a leaky bucket no matter how much water you pour in, yet that seems to be their only strategy,” said Jordan Lean, a paramedic and president of CUPE 4911. “We’re spending time and money to replace paramedics but not doing anything to keep those paramedics working here. We’re trapped in this rapid turnover cycle and the service is essentially paying to train paramedics for other cities.”
Solutions at the Bargaining Table
CUPE 4911 is bringing forward reasonable solutions to make Peterborough a competitive and sustainable place to be a paramedic, focusing on:
Fair Wages:
Paramedics in Peterborough earning 20% less than their counterparts in police and fire services is a significant disparity. This wage gap could certainly lead to burnout and attrition, as paramedics may be tempted to leave for higher-paying roles, which can lead to a loss of experienced staff. Ensuring comparable wages will help keep the workforce stable and maintain high-quality service.
Mental Health Coverage:
PTSD and other forms of workplace stress are common in paramedicine, given the nature of the job. The current cap on mental health coverage is far below what most other paramedic services offer. Enhancing this coverage could lead to better mental health outcomes for paramedics, ultimately benefiting both the workers and the community they serve. It’s also a recognition of the psychological toll the job takes.
Improved Benefits:
Broadening benefits could help make Peterborough an attractive and competitive place for paramedics to work. Better benefits are a key retention strategy and could help prevent the loss of experienced paramedics, who are often the ones most affected by issues like burnout or stress.
If these solutions were implemented, Peterborough would likely see not just better retention rates but also a more sustainable workforce in the long run, which ultimately improves emergency medical services for the whole community. What do you think could be the biggest challenge in getting these solutions on the table?
“If we don’t fix wages, mental health supports, and benefits, we will continue losing paramedics as fast as we hire them,” Lean said. “This round of bargaining is absolutely critical to building a sustainable emergency medical service the community can rely on.”