Letter to the Editor, Calgary Sun: HSAA negotiates strong contracts for EMS personnel

Monday, March 2, 2009

Dear Mr. Kaufmann, The Calgary Sun

I find it necessary to comment on the article posted in today's (Feb. 24/09) sun, entitled "Paramedics seeking most effective deal".

I am an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) working within the province of Alberta. Not every pre-hospital care worker is a Paramedic. But one would think that CUPE would know this. The majority of ambulances circulating in cities and through-out the province have an EMT and a Paramedic on board. Again, I would think CUPE would know this.

I found the article and the video to be one of the most ridiculous pieces of media I have ever seen. It is obvious to me that Mr. Rick Fraser has no idea what he is talking about and it appears that he is trying to create public fear by making statements like "do you want a massage therapist" coming out of the back of an ambulance. How utterly ridiculous !

It is the Alberta College of Paramedics that regulate our profession consisting of Emergency Medical Responders (EMR), Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) and Emergency Medical Technologists (Paramedics), not any union. Further to that, each ambulance service, as it exists today, has it's own medical director who decides what type of protocols/treatments will be practiced (under the Physician's license) on the ambulance. Not any union.

Unions represent the various professions in terms of contract negations, ie. working conditions, rates of pay, shift differential, hours of work, etc. NOT PATIENT CARE.

It is obvious to most of us in the pre-hospital field that Mr Fraser is making bizarre statements in an attempt to gain support of the general public who may not understand how EMR's, EMT's and Paramedics are regulated.

If CUPE is looking to be the union of all pre-hospital care worker's in this province, he just lost my vote. Also, if CUPE wants to play that type of unprofessional game, then I could also point out that CUPE represents Bus drivers, flight attendants, clerical workers, Sanding truck drivers, and garbage collector's, to name a few. Do you want a "garbage man" coming out of the back of an ambulance ? How ridiculous !

The bottom line in this whole issue, is that CUPE does not want to lose it's membership, which boils down to money, as in union dues. The only thing Mr. Fraser has convinced me of is that I never want to be a part of CUPE, because they obviously have no idea what they are talking about. Furthermore, their whole pitch of Paramedics representing paramedics is also pointless. I would rather see Paramedics, EMT's and EMR's working on ambulances as they should be and are trained to be, and people trained in labor law and negations be sitting at the table with the employer representing my interests, as that's what a good union is there to do and is trained to do.

Also, as I recall, CUPE didn't do very well by the City of Calgary and their ambulance workers in their last contract negotiations and the workers wanted to go on strike, but were declared an essential service in order for that situation to be averted.

"Other" unions have negotiated very good contracts on behalf of the rest of the pre-hospital care worker's they represent in this province. One of these "other" unions (HSAA) happens to represent a wide range of health-care workers (and only health care workers) and has strongly negotiated and advocated for not only the workers, but also health-care specific work conditions.

Let's get it right. CUPE is not appearing in news paper articles because it is concerned about the public, it is making public statements such as this, because it is concerned about it's money. End of story. Let's leave this issue to be resolved with the province and the unions, not the public. And finally, I would like to say that advancements in EMS care and patient care will NOT be sacrificed, as stated by Mr. Rick Fraser. Leave politics to the politicians and let us EMR's, EMT's and Paramedics do our jobs as we have always done and will continue to do and that is to protect the well-being of the patient and honour our profession, as professionals.

Although I am an EMT, the opinions expressed in this letter are my own personal opinions and do not represent any organizational opinions.

Best regards,
Debbie Whitehead
Calgary Patient Transfer