The union representing 3,600 paramedics and dispatchers in B.C. is holding a strike vote to try and get the government back to the bargaining table.
Bronwyn Barter, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC, says they’ve been negotiating for about eight months with no progress.
“What we’re trying to do is encourage government through the strike vote to communicate, encourage government to get back to the table and take matters seriously.”
Barter says the main issues are safety, wage improvement, and recruitment and retention.
She says workers have been on a contract that essentially hasn’t been updated since 2001.
The strike vote ends Nov. 1.
Barter adds staff would still comply with their essential service order, and only cut back on training and other non-essential work.
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