Ramping Up The Fight For Classification

Paramedics in New Brunswick are ramping up their fight for proper classification.

Committee Chair Joel Mattatall says they want the government to update legislation so paramedics are viewed for the high level of care they provide, “Currently, paramedics bargain alongside individuals such as food service staff, maintenance workers, who are all vital to the delivery of health care, but we feel the paramedic profession has evolved, and we believe the classification should evolve with us.”

Mattatall says paramedics are paid 40 per cent less than firefighters and police officers, but they suffer more injuries in the job they do.

“Other members of the healthcare community that are directly involved in patient care have the classification that we are seeking. By updating the classification it effectively would place paramedics alongside all other healthcare professionals within the system,” Mattatall says.”

He says paramedics are calling on the Higgs government to recognize them as the Healthcare Professionals they are.

“As a committee, we’ve been fighting for this for the past year. Firefighters bargain with firefighters. Police officers bargain with police officers, so it would just make sense for paramedics to bargain alongside other healthcare professionals. We have tried to lobby and get the government to see this. If they think we are in a crisis now, I don’t want to see where we will be in two to three years if the government doesn’t fix this,” Mattatall urges.