Ottawa Paramedics

On Tuesday, March 3, 2020, the Professional Paramedic Association of Ottawa released a video showing over a dozen ambulances waiting to offload patients at the Ottawa Hospital’s General campus.  

The media reports covering this incident referred to the Professional Paramedic Association of Ottawa as “the union” representing paramedics in Ottawa.  This is incorrect as the Ottawa-Carleton Public Employees’ Union (‘CUPE’) Local 503 is the exclusive bargaining agent, or union, representing all Paramedics employed by the City of Ottawa.

CUPE Local 503 is extremely concerned to see evidence of so many ambulances sitting idle at one of Ottawa’s major hospitals.  This delay puts other members of our community at risk in the event they require urgent medical assistance and also adds stress to Ottawa’s Paramedics.  CUPE 503 is working with the frontline Paramedic Services members to come up with short term solutions to this urgent issue.    

The Ford Government campaigned on a promise to end hallway medicine but, instead, they have cut health care funding across the province.  If the Ford Government is serious about its promises to improve the health care system, we need an immediate and long-term investment in hospitals and health care that will ensure that ambulances do not sit idle while waiting to offload patients to hospitals.   

CUPE 503 Paramedics do fantastic work and if you are concerned about this issue, please contact your local MPP and ask them to take action to ensure that hospital funding is increased to end offload delays across the Province.  

CUPE 503 is the largest CUPE Local in Eastern Ontario representing ten thousand public and private sector employees across Eastern Ontario and up the Ottawa Valley.

For further information contact: CUPE Local 503

(613) 230-2456