‘Morale issue’ plagues Niagara paramedics: CUPE
EMS Chief Kevin Smith to deliver services changes update to councillors next month
An increasing call volume and systemic issues are taking a toll on Niagara’s paramedics, says CUPE national representative Steve Leavitt.
“There’s a morale issue within the service itself,” Leavitt said. “They face a huge workload and it’s very frustrating for them.”
He said Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics represented by Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 1019 have told him there have been as many as 16 ambulances at a time parked at St. Catharines hospital. And paramedics aboard each of those ambulances would rather be out in the community ready to respond to the next emergency — saving lives rather than spending hours waiting to transfer patients into the care of hospital staff.
“They’re not too happy with that, for sure,” Leavitt said. “They get frustrated with it. And there doesn’t seem to be a resolve in sight.”
This isn’t the first time concerns of Niagara paramedics have been addressed by the union.
CUPE national president Mark Hancock published a statement Dec. 19 condemning the “unfair and irresponsible treatment of paramedics and dispatchers,” while alleging “bullying and demeaning behaviour” on behalf of Niagara EMS management.
At the time, Smith denied the accusations citing “a very strong stance on mental wellness within our workplace” and formal training to help paramedics cope with the work-related stresses they face.
But paramedics remain concerned, nonetheless.
Leavitt attended Niagara Region’s public health committee meeting Tuesday, joined by about 25 off-duty paramedics wearing bright green shirts with CUPE 1019 printed on them in a show of solidarity, hoping for a solution to their concerns.
Port Colborne Coun. Barb Butters noted the “large contingent” of paramedics in the audience, and asked Niagara EMS Chief Kevin Smith for an “update on the status of the service and what his plans are going forward.”
Smith told committee members that he would provide councillors with an update during a committee-of-the-whole meeting scheduled for March 7.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, however, Smith told The Standard that service delivery changes being implemented by Niagara EMS will help address pressures paramedics face.
“Certainly, the pressures that the caregivers themselves are under is of concern to us and everything we’re trying to do to improve the system, well, it’s designed to be patient-centric and do things for the patient, we can’t do any of that if we don’t care for our caregivers themselves,” he said.
Leavitt, however, said Smith “is choosing not to acknowledge” the problem.
“His belief is it’s something that’s a personal decision and there’s nothing in the organization itself,” Leavitt said. “His belief is that you wake up in the morning and you can choose to have a bad day or a good day. That’s what sets your morale clock.
“We disagree with that.” Leavitt said paramedics will return for the March 7 meeting to hear Smith’s presentation.
“We’re kind of curious about what his plans are,” Leavitt said.