City wants to bring differences before an arbitrator to prevent paramedic labour disruption

NEWS RELEASE
CITY OF SAULT STE MARIE
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The City of Sault Ste. Marie advises residents that the labour disruption scheduled by Unifor Local 1359 (Paramedics) to take place effective Feb. 28, 2018 at 12:01 a.m. has been delayed. There is no disruption to services at this time.

The City has put forth an application before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and has received a ruling that an Essential Service Agreement (ESA) must be in place and agreed upon by both parties prior to any work action.

It is beneficial to both parties and especially the public that an ESA with clearly defined parameters be in place to assist in navigating through a potential disruption. A scheduled hearing in Toronto will take place on March 12, 2018 to better define the framework for such an agreement.

To prevent a labour disruption, the City believes that the most responsible course of action is to put its differences before an arbitrator and abide by the ruling, a request that has been formally asked of Unifor.

The current agreement was arrived at through arbitration. Furthermore, contrary to reports, the City is and remains prepared to continue discussions at any time to resolve the remaining issues to avoid a labour disruption.

The City has provided an offer that is fair to its EMS employees and affordable to the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie putting its Paramedics in the middle of its comparator groups.

The City recognizes the important work of paramedics and will continue to negotiate an agreement in a responsible manner that is fair to employees and affordable to the citizens of Sault Ste. Marie.

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