** Ontario paramedics in Waterloo poised to strike
** Shots fired at Minneapolis ambulance in Minnesota
CANADA NEWS
** Waterloo paramedics in Ontario are apparently preparing to take strike action if last minute negotiations with the employer fail. That is the word from CBC (July 24) which said the decision could come by week’s end. According to the news service, CUPE 5191 members have already voted 98 per cent to begin industrial action. The main points of contention centre around absent meal breaks and under staffing. Union spokesman Chris Sutton said the two issues combined often keep medics on the job for 16 hours instead of the 12 hours their shifts dictate.
UNITED STATES NEWS
** A crew of Minneapolis medics in Minnesota narrowly escaped serious injury Monday after a bullet struck the front window of the ambulance they were riding in. KSTP (July 24) said the 1:39 a.m. incident played out as practitioners were heading to a Code 2 call. According to the news station, the paramedics heard several gunshots ring out as they drove on Hennepin Avenue South near the Groveland Avenue South area. One of the medics sustained minor glass shard injuries. Police say initial investigation has indicated the shooter did not intentionally target the ambulance. The incident comes at a time when the city is still on edge after a police officer shot and killed a 911 caller reporting a possible sexual assault.
