Tuesday, October 30, 2007

** Mississauga, Ontario  paramedics still without contract

** Manitoba lobbies for EMS LODD memorial

CANADA NEWS

** Mississauga, Ontario  area paramedics are still waiting to see their labour contract settled. That is the word from the Mississauga News (John Stewart/October 29) which said an arbitrator is expected to be appointed shortly. Three hundred fifty Peel Region practitioners have been without a contract since April. Negotiations stalled in July. According to the newspaper, providers are seeking a 17 per cent wage hike to bring them parity with colleagues in Toronto.

** The chairman of the Paramedic Association of Manitoba appeared yesterday at the province’s legislature to lobby for EMS inclusion in a proposed commendation honouring emergency workers. Eric Glass spoke before the Social and Economic Development Committee on Bill 17, The Firefighters, Peace Officers and Workers Memorial Foundations Act. Seeking to establish permanent monuments to honour LODDs from police and fire, the bill would lump medics into a generic “others” category. Glass told politicos paramedics remain upset by the idea, since on-the-job dangers remain comparable to those faced by the two other disciplines. He said appropriate recognition would involve inclusion of EMS, police and fire together on one structure, or each of the three having separate memorials.