Paramedics Endanger Vancouver.
Unions playing with people’s lives:
Following last week’s government-imposed back-to-work contract after a seven month strike….
Over 50 paramedics booked their shifts off right before they were about to start on Friday night, pulling 35 ambulances off the road.
On Saturday more shifts were booked off, and the BCAS said it will be down 24 ambulances, including 10 in Metro Vancouver, and 10 in the Fraser Valley. Boston Bar, Hope, Agassiz, and Pemberton will be without an ambulance all together and will rely on neighbouring municipalities.
Victoria sent Vancouver a few ambulances to help deal with the shortage:
Sending ambulances from Victoria to the Lower Mainland on the weekend was “extremely stupid,” according to a spokesman for the union representing the province’s 3,500 ambulance paramedics.
“That was a very ill-conceived idea and someone needs to be held accountable,” said B.J. Chute, director of public education for the Ambulance Paramedics of B.C.
Two ambulances and two crews travelled by ferry from Victoria to the Lower Mainland Friday and remained there throughout yesterday.
No, B.J., pulling a stunt like this is stupid.
John Strohmeier, the president of CUPE Local 873, said the union had nothing to do with the cancelled shifts.
Glad to hear the union isn’t behind this. They won’t mind if, as Ronald Reagan did, we just fire anyone that misses work without proof.
Someone needs to be held accountable.
As the body count starts to rise in Vancouver, hopefully our politicians will realize that an outright ban on the union actions in health care is a reasonable solution. Or, even better, it’s time to open up the service to private competition.
That would end the union’s playing with people’s lives.
photo credit: t-dot-s-dot
