Ontario air ambulance dispatch workers may strike Sept. 11

Difficulty reaching first contract with private employer

Toronto (24 Aug. 2007) - Ontario air ambulance dispatchers and staff at the Infectious Control Centre, based in Toronto, could be on strike by Sept. 11 if bargaining fails to produce any progress in the meantime.

Negotiators for the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) are scheduled to meet Aug. 27 and Aug. 30 with management. A mediator will be present to help the two sides resolve differences.

The 71 full-time and part-time employees voted 95% earlier this month to strike if necessary to reach a fair contract. They are employed by a new privatized non-profit organization called Ornge.

The workers are responsible for the dispatch of helicopters to highway accidents. They also coordinate organ retrieval flights and handle infectious disease screening (including SARS) for all inter-hospital patient transfer services. In addition, they process critical care land ambulance transfers in Ontario.

“The members are looking for a fair collective agreement,” says negotiator Mark Kotanen. “The goodwill is there on the part of these key workers to find a deal with this employer.”

This is a first attempt by the workers to negotiate a contract since they were moved out of the Ontario Public Service in 2006. The parties remain apart on the issue of industry standards for wages, and improved professional standards and training. NUPGE