Description: About 250 — some reports said 350 — Toronto paramedics held a rally asking that they be declared an essential service.
Source: CBC
Date: 01/24/2012
Related links:
- CTV story
- Global Toronto story
- Canadian Labour Reporter story
- Press release from the Toronto Paramedic Association
- The Toronto Paramedic Association
- City of Toronto
- Ontario Labour Relations Board
- CUPE local 416
Questions for discussion:
- In industrial relations terms, what is an essential service?
- Who would make the final decision on whether Toronto paramedics are an essential service?
- Describe the process by which an application for an essential service designation would be made in this case.
- What reason is the city giving for not making an immediate decision?
- What effect would an essential service declaration have on the paramedics?
- Why do you think they are asking to be declared an essential service?
- What is binding interest arbitration? Why do you think the paramedics favour it?
HopefulMedic
An Essential Service has an actual definition best defined in Canada by the following webpage:
http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpubs/TBM_11B/esao-esea-eng.asp
Currently, EMS services are not an Essential Service unlike their partner Emergency Services,Police and Fire. In fact this is true across Ontario and Quebec but also around the world!
In the case of the City of Toronto, the city can make an agreement with the TEMS Union, local 416 but have refused the offer from the union and have deferred a motion presented to City Counsel to make EMS an ES for further study. The other option is through the Province, which regulates the industry through the Ministry of Health (MOHLTC) but this would affect all the municipal service across the Province, something the Ontario Municipalities Association (OMA) has strongly resisted.
The City of Toronto has stated that they do not want to adversely affect current ongoing bargaining negotiations with Local 416 by designating EMS as an Essential Service. They further stated through counselor Doug Holyday that if they were to give the Essential Services designation to EMS that it should be bargained for in negotiations, insinuating they would have to somehow pay for the right. The common perception of this comment is that the City is playing politics with peoples lives to further their negotiations with local 416.
The issue for Toronto EMS paramedics is respect but ultimately they do not want to be put in this position every 3 years to be used politically in negotiations. TEMS medics would rather continue serving the community during any labour negotiations and resolve any ongoing disputes that could not be negotiated in bargaining through binding interest arbitration.
BINDING INTEREST ARBITRATION: A procedure used to delegate to a third party the power to resolve an impasse in bargaining labor contracts. This party would resolve the issue while Medics continue there good work with no threat to the public health or safety.
Rob Boyd