Local paramedics hit goal

Photo: yourparamedics.ca

Paramedics in Penticton have reached their goal and secured enough local signatures in the province-wide push to be declared an essential service.

The petition is using legislation that allows a group to force a referendum or legislative action should at least 10 per cent of the electorate sign a petition in each district in the province. The same set of laws enabled the HST referendum.

Paramedics are currently lumped in with a much larger bargaining unit, and face the risk of being forced to strike should general hospital workers decide to do so. They are looking to be treated the same as police and firefighters in collective bargaining, which would prevent strikes and lockouts.

In Penticton, organizers needed to get 4,392 signatures, a figure that was eclipsed this week.

“It was an absolutely amazing team effort, people went out their way, they went out when they were sick or it was miserable out to make sure we got all the numbers that we needed and a little bit more," said local organizer Derek Morris.

He said the community was very supportive whenever approached by volunteers.

The electoral districts of Shuswap and Vernon-Monashee also crossed the finish line this week. Morris said he's optimistic all of the interior ridings will come through by the April 10 deadline.

"It looks like the toughest places has actually been the cities, because there are so many ridings in the city's and paramedics down there are so burned out," Morris said.