Paramedics gathered outside the Hampton Inn on Fisher Drive, calling attention to what their union describes as a deepening staffing crisis as a new round of contract negotiations gets underway.
The rally, organized by CUPE 4911, marked the start of bargaining talks the union says are among the most important in years. The local represents about 180 paramedics serving more than 150,000 residents in the City and County of Peterborough.
PTBOTODAY.ca spoke with Vice-president of local 4911, Ryan Khuth.
Speaking to the mental health piece, union leaders say roughly 20 per cent of full-time paramedics are currently off work, many due to injuries or stress-related leave. Khuth says this is something they are looking at closely.
“In the last three years, we’ve hired about 70 new paramedics, but more than 50 have left for other jobs or left the field entirely,” said Jordan Lean, president of CUPE 4911. “We’re losing about 17 or 18 paramedics each year. You can’t keep up with that by just hiring more staff. It’s like trying to fill a leaky bucket.”
“If we don’t fix wages, mental health supports, and benefits, we will continue losing paramedics as fast as we hire them,” Lean said. “These talks are critical to building a reliable emergency service for the community.”
(Written by: Jordan Mercier)
