Paramedics Shouldn’t Lose Pay Due to COVID-19
Nova Scotia’s paramedics have been working in unimaginable conditions for years – long before the COVID-19 pandemic turned many of our lives upside down. They’re some of the most highly trained, highly skilled paramedics in North America, and yet they are among the lowest paid.
Now, on top of missed meals, shift overruns and frequently denied vacations, they’re also facing the constant risk of missing work due to COVID-19 exposure or illness. In a profession that centers around contact with the sick and unwell, this is a consequence too many of our paramedics are facing. When sick time runs out, these absences go unpaid, or paid by WCB at a reduced rate.
This is unacceptable. When Nova Scotians needed them, they answered the call. They have been working on the frontlines of this pandemic for nearly two years now. It’s time we start taking care of them. Ensure that no paramedic, or other frontline worker, goes without pay for doing their job.
Sincerely,
Kevin MacMullin
IUOE Local 727 Business Manager