Latest news with #CUPE416
CBC
2 days ago
- Health
- CBC
City announces multi-year plan to hire more paramedics, EMS staff
The City of Toronto has announced a new multi-year plan to hire more paramedics and EMS staff to keep up with an increase in medical and emergency 911 calls. The plan will see the city hire 362 front-line paramedics, superintendents and support staff over the next three years, said Mayor Olivia Chow at a news conference Wednesday. "Torontonians deserves a paramedic service that is quick to respond in an emergency because people cannot wait. A service that will be there for them when they need it," Chow said. Deputy Chief Melanie Jordison of Toronto Paramedic Services says the city is in desperate need of more EMS workers, especially in light of a recent rise in shootings across the city. "It's been a difficult year, lots of difficult calls. We have a number of measures to support our staff internally, but we recognize it has a toll on them," said Jordison. Last year, Toronto paramedics reported that in 2023 there were 1,200 occasions where no ambulances were available to respond to an emergency call. That was up from only 29 occasions in 2019. CUPE Local 416, the union representing 1,400 paramedics working in Toronto, has also reported high instances of burnout in recent years. "They are under a tremendous amount of pressure right now, and that certainly is something that we're we're trying to find a solution to and continue to be open to further solutions," said Peter Shirer, vice chair of CUPE Local 416, at Tuesday's news conference. The announcement comes just days after an incident where a 911 caller was put on hold for almost seven minutes while a teenage boy was dying from a gunshot wound — an incident city officials have promised to review. "I can't speak to the whole process of that call specifically," Jordison said at Tuesday's news conference. "But it's definitely something that we're reviewing." Chow said she's hopeful that this new staffing plan will help reduce 911 call response times, adding the city is hiring more 911 call centre operators as well. The EMS staffing plan will cost around $52 million dollars to implement, but Chow expects that cost to be shared with the province through its Land Ambulance Services Grant.
National Post
3 days ago
- Health
- National Post
Toronto Civic Employees' Union, CUPE 416 responds to City of Toronto's new Paramedic staffing plan
Article content TORONTO — CUPE 416 is encouraged by the City of Toronto's announcement of a multi-year staffing plan for Toronto Paramedic Services, calling the move a long-overdue step toward addressing critical service and staffing challenges. Article content 'We're encouraged to see the City finally taking steps to address the pressures our paramedics have been facing for years,' said Eddie Mariconda, president of CUPE 416. 'We'll be monitoring the plan closely to ensure it's implemented effectively and delivers real improvements on the ground.' Article content Article content CUPE 416 represents roughly 1400 members working in Toronto Paramedic Services. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content Article content Article content
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
Workers at Toronto Community Housing ratify New Collective Agreement
Article content TORONTO — After more than three months of bargaining, members of the Toronto Civic Employees' Union, CUPE 416, who work at Toronto Community Housing Corporation (TCHC), have ratified a new collective agreement. Article content 'We're proud of the work our members do every day to support TCHC tenants, and this agreement reflects the value of that work,' said Eddie Mariconda, president of CUPE 416. 'We were able to reach a deal that makes meaningful improvements thanks to the strength and solidarity of our members.' Article content Article content CUPE 416 represents approximately 900 workers at TCHC who provide plumbing, electrical, carpentry, cleaning and supervisory services to more than 110,000 residents living in nearly 60,000 rental units across the city. These members play a key role in maintaining safe, supportive, and affordable housing for some of Toronto's most vulnerable communities. Article content Article content Article content Article content : Article content Article content Article content
