The recent passing of Bill 21 promptly ended the BC paramedic strike. As a result, some have accused the provincial government of stripping workers of their democratic rights. Students looking to enter the industry are concerned over their future career choice.

The bill was passed while paramedics were voting on an offer from their employer, BC Ambulance Service (BCAS).
According to long-time Vancouver Island paramedic Robin Hilderman, “Never ever before, ever, has the government—any government, not just the Liberals—gone through the process of doing something like this while we were right in the middle of a strike vote. It’s democracy absolutely annihilated.”

Michelle Tsoi, a fifth-year Human Kinetics student at UBC who is pursuing a career in paramedicine, agrees with Hilderman.

“If the government has no problem using pure force to get what they want from the paramedics, there is no doubt that they would use this power against other workers in the future,” she said.

BC Minister of Health Services Kevin Falcon presented Bill 21 after seven months of failed negotiations and with one month left in the current legislative session. The imposed contract requires all paramedics to resume their normal full-time, overtime, and “historical availability” shifts. In return, paramedics receive a three per cent pay increase and the appointment of an Industrial Inquiry Commission to facilitate a resolution of the labour dispute, two things Falcon stated were recognized priorities for the Ambulance Paramedics of BC (APBC).

“We value very much the work that is provided by BC’s paramedics…but our priority…has to be the health and welfare of all British Columbians,” said Falcon at a press conference on November 2.

Some paramedics feel that they have their hands tied by the Essential Services Act (ESA).

“The union has been stripped of all of our ability to even try to strike,” said Hilderman. “[Due to the ESA] we were unable to strike effectively [aside from] putting decals on our ambulances; we still had to respond to each and every call. They basically forced us into overtime and volunteer work….Definitely we’ve been abused.”

The contract lasts for one year, retroactive to April 2009, when the paramedics began their strike, and expires March 31, 2010. The close timing to the end of the Olympics in Vancouver prompted accusations that the legislation was passed in
order to preserve Vancouver’s image during the Games and ensure that VANOC’s request for fully operating emergency services is met.

However, during the November 2 press conference, Falcon stated the Olympics was a secondary issue to the “H1N1 pandemic,” which he repeatedly emphasized as the main reason for passing Bill 21.

VANOC released a statement to the media regarding the issue: “A September 14 memorandum from Dr Mike Wilkinson, VANOC director of Medical Services, asked for confirmation whether or not BC Ambulance Service would be available at Games-time as we need to make decisions about contingency plans.”

Tanner Bendzak, a primary care paramedic student in Kelowna, argued, “VANOC’s statement played a tremendous role in regards to Bill 21. It is clear that after seven consecutive months of BC Paramedics on strike, there is no reason that paramedics would have been legislated back to work if not for the Olympics.”

However, Dr Mark Thompson, professor emeritus at the Sauder School of Business, argues that the paramedics should have seen it coming from the start. “Bill 21 was inevitable,” he said. “No government was going to let this strike go on during the Olympics. I think the union mistakenly assumed the Olympics would work to their advantage.”

Students are concerned about their prospective careers. They support the paramedics overall, but have also not escaped the consequences of having their training—and thus certifications—put on hold for seven months. “We all have approximately $10,000 tied up in our education and it makes it extremely difficult to decide whether or not to move on,” said Bendzak. “The strike has instilled a lack of confidence in my skills and knowledge that I acquired over six months ago.  Absence from the classroom and daily scenarios makes it extremely difficult to stay sharp.”

“I feel sorry for them,” said William Chute, director of public education for the APBC. “Having said that, I don’t think that the way the government has portrayed them is fair. Most of the students, certainly the ones we’re in contact with, were supportive of our strike. It’s their future as well.”

Paramedics are investigating whether the legislation can be pulled, and will be looking for support from other union workers as well as the general populace. “We’ve made it pretty clear what paramedics think, but we’re also going to be relying upon the rest of the labour movement as well,” said Chute.

“All democratic rights of union employees are at stake,” said Hilderman. “I think the other unions need to step up and say that we’re not going to see our brothers and sisters treated this way.”

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