Richmond – The Ambulance Paramedics and Emergency Dispatchers of BC (APBC)’s 4,600 Paramedics and Emergency Medical Dispatchers have voted 96.1% yes to ratify a new three-year collective agreement which was reached on January 6, 2023, between the Health Employers Association of BC (HEABC) and the Ambulance Paramedics & Ambulance Dispatchers Bargaining Association of BC (APADBA).
The APBC represents nearly 5,000 ambulance paramedics, emergency dispatchers, and call-takers across BC. They have been without a contract since April 2022.
From their media release:
This new agreement has addressed foundational changes to wages, benefits, and staffing models across the province. “We’re happy that many of our core concerns are being addressed and that our members trusted our executive board and negotiations committee to bring them a fair deal,” says APBC President Troy Clifford. “This was a collaborative agreement. The Provincial Government, their bargaining agent HEABC, BCEHS senior leadership, and the Health Minister’s office all came together to get this done. The fact that we needed to invest in paramedic services, prehospital care, and public safety was obvious. We’re glad that we could sit at the table together and put our members and patients first.
“While we’re happy that many issues have been recognized, others are ongoing, and we will be advocating to address those challenges. We want to assist communities in improving staffing and response times across BC, we still have a long way to go in providing improved mental health and wellness support to our members, and we want to advocate for our profession moving forward in many different ways.”
