THUNDER BAY – Superior North EMS administration is not concerned a collective bargaining agreement signed this year with paramedics will deeply impact the 2017 municipal budget.
The city struck an agreement with Unifor Local 229 in April that will see local paramedic wages increase 12 per cent between 2015 and 2019.
The deal will increase the wages of 100 local paramedics from $34.09 per hour in 2013 to $39.34 per hour for a top-scale primary care paramedic and $37.06 to start.
“This is just a normal process we deal with. It’s just part of doing business,” said Superior North EMS superintendent of administration Brent Cline.
“Now that we know what the increases are, those increases form part of our budget. That budget goes to council for deliberation and council ultimately decides on the budget process.”
The province will cover half of the wage increase’s cost. The rest will be shared between the City of Thunder Bay and smaller municipalities in the district.
Unifor Local 229 financial secretary Angie Martz pointed out at the end of the contract, local paramedics will still be paid less than the current $40-per-hour “Cadillac” union contract in Durham, Ontario.
She said local workers had fallen far behind their provincial counterparts and the contract will recover some of that gap.
“Our paramedics are on the front lines dealing with some serious issues,” Martz said.
“This is our first response. I can’t stress enough how important it is to have that paramedic come to you when you need it.”
