Over the course of the agreement, wages may increase by as much as 13%.

Over 4,500 paramedics and dispatchers working for British Columbia’s ambulance service voted 96% in favor of ratifying a three-year contract that could result in pay increases of up to 13%.

The mandate’s recognition of the importance of this collective agreement is “very promising,” according to Troy Clifford, president of the Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia.

The agreement is effective as of April 1, 2022, which was the expiration date of the prior collective bargaining agreement. It demands:

• Year 1: A flat rise of 25 cents per hour in addition to a 3.24 percent salary increase.

• Year two: A 5.5% pay raise with a possible cost-of-living adjustment up to a maximum of 6.75%.

• Year three: A two percent wage rise with a possible three percent cost-of-living adjustment.

• A new model for remote and rural service delivery will take the place of workers on call as scheduled.

An already overburdened ambulance system that was beset by staff shortages and lengthy wait times was made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to Clifford, the new collective bargaining agreement won’t resolve the issues right away, but it is hoped that increased expenditures in community-based recruiting and training would assist to calm the situation.

“The issues we’ve faced, such ambulance wait times and service delivery delays, won’t be resolved overnight,” he said. We’ll still need to think outside the box to attract new employees because we’re up against all other professions in a province with a shortage of human resources.

Vince Ready, the mediator, assisted in negotiating the final terms of the accord.

According to Clifford, having this strong combined contract is really beneficial as the fact that there are much chances for people who would like to become dispatchers and paramedics in this province.