B.C.’s ambulance paramedics, who have worked under an expired contract since 2001, started bargaining with the government this week, looking for improvements to their outdated collective agreement.

“The ambulance paramedics and dispatchers are dedicated to providing the highest quality care to British Columbians everyday and we’re looking for fair and reasonable improvements to our outdated collective agreement,” said Bronwyn Barter, provincial president of the Ambulance Paramedics of BC (APBC).

She said the contract with paramedics expired years ago and paramedics have been working under a continuation clause that keeps their expired contract in place until a new agreement can be reached with the employer.

“Our current collective agreement expired in 2001, was rolled over in 2004 under a memorandum of understanding and then legislated for another year, just prior to the Olympics in November 2009,” Barter said.

The APBC will join approximately 43,000 other health care workers at the table in the coming weeks, looking to pen new contracts with the employer.

On the Coast, there are a total of 72 paramedics. Five of those are full time while 67 work part-time hours.

Throughout the province, there are over 3,600 ambulance paramedics and emergency medical dispatchers who will be bargaining for wage increases, among other things.

The APBC expects the monetary issue to hinder discussions with the government, which is working with a net zero mandate.