Emergency medical responders in Montreal, Quebec City, Eastern Townships set to strike on Saturday
Emergency medical responders in Montreal, the Eastern Townships and Quebec City are set to go on strike this weekend as negotiations have been unsuccessful in reaching a new collective agreement.
The workers have been without an agreement since March 31, 2020 and now the union is ramping up pressure tactics.
In Montreal, Urgences-santé medical responders, or répondants médicaux d'urgence (RMU) in French — who take potentially life-saving calls and provide first-aid via telephone ahead of the arrival of first responders — as well as administrative staff are set to begin a strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
Medical responders at the Centre de Communication Santé des Capitales and the Centre de santé communautaire de l'Estrie are also set to begin strike action on Saturday.
Union negotiations are focusing mostly on pay raises and other measures to attract and retain staff in health communication centres. The Syndicat des employé-es d'Urgences-santé-CSN said in a news release that it's been difficult to find enough staff to fill positions in the centres.
"We are really at the end of our rope," said Anick Bélanger, president of the Urgences-santé union, in the release.
"We must take concrete action now to make employment at RMU more attractive and more interesting. Unfortunately, it seems that for the Treasury Board, the Department of Health and Social Services and our employers, we have to go on strike if we want to be taken seriously."
During the strike mandate, the Administrative Labour Tribunal is satisfied that essential services will still be provided, however, workers will stop doing certain tasks, including the completion of certain documents and the use of certain communication protocols.
"The RMUs and administrative staff play a crucial role in the chain of pre-hospital emergency services," added CSN President Caroline Senneville in the communiqué. "The entire CSN stands by their side to demand fair recognition of their indispensable work. The quality of services to the population depends on it."
Clarification: An earlier version of this story, published by The Canadian Press, incorrectly stated that Urgences-santé workers in Quebec City and the Eastern Townships were set to go on strike. In fact, it's the emergency medical responders in those regions who are going to be on strike.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.