Anonymous social media post reflects concerns of P.E.I.'s paramedics, says union
'If it's not desirable, they're not going to stay,' says union's president
An anonymous social media post about issues facing paramedics on Prince Edward Island is reflective of how some in the profession feel, says the union's president.
The post, which was widely shared on social media, mentions concerns about pay, access to vacation and potential changes to overtime.
Similar issues have been raised "for years now," said Jason Woodbury, president of CUPE Local 3324, which represents paramedics on P.E.I.
"We really need to focus on retaining our paramedics here in Prince Edward Island because we're seeing an abundance of our paramedics leaving to go elsewhere for better wages, better benefits and better working life," Woodbury said.
There are about 190 paramedics working on the Island, but that number should be closer to 220, the union said.
Wait times for paramedic services have also gone up, the province said.
In 2015, the median response time for an ambulance in Souris was 10 minutes and 16 seconds during the last three months of the year.
In the last three months of 2024, the response time was 23 minutes and 23 seconds.
"There's issues within the systems and we need to really address them — and address them now," Woodbury said.
Ongoing issues
Paramedics on P.E.I. are the lowest paid in the region, Woodbury said.
In Nova Scotia, paramedics are paid three to five dollars more per hour with the same level of training.
The union's agreement with Island EMS, which currently allows for double overtime pay, is set to expire at the end of March. This has also raised concerns, as noted in the social media post.
Woodbury said the union will fight to keep the double overtime pay in place.
Many Island paramedics often work long shifts of 12 to 16 hours without breaks, Woodbury added.
"They need their time off. They need time to recharge. They need time to spend with their families," he said.
But maintaining a work-life balance has been a challenge, since paramedics are being denied time off, Woodbury said.
All together, these issues can have an effect on retention, he said.
"People are leaving at a stunning rate and not coming back," Woodbury said. "If it's not desirable, they're not going to stay."
A changing profession
Tyler Graves, the president of the paramedic association of P.E.I., has been a paramedic for 12 years.
He said the job of a paramedic goes beyond just responding to emergency calls.
"A lot of our job nowadays is dealing with… the failures of the health-care system," Graves said.
"We're seeing people with compounded medical issues that have just been kind of chronically… neglected. And now we're left to try to kind of figure that out."
Woodbury said the union raised alarm bells about staffing issues across the health-care system five or six years ago.
"We said that the system was in a fragile state. Now it's in a critical state," Woodbury said.
"Islanders are at risk because of the lack of resources in the system and the amount of paramedics that are leaving this province to go elsewhere."
The union and Island EMS plan to negotiate a new collective agreement later this year.
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With files from Tony Davis