Nearly 200 paramedics from across the province gathered at the Civic Centre on King Street in Chatham yesterday afternoon. Chatham-Kent EMS workers are unhappy with the recent proposal to blend Fire and EMS services. Chris Stolte, Executive Board Member of SEIU Local 1 Canada, says that they’ve been left out of the decision process.
“The paramedics have been eliminated altogether with the process and having input into it,” Stolte says. “The union four weeks ago came forward and offered our assistance, and Chief Stuebing to this day still has not responded back to us and has not returned our phone calls.”
The rally was in response to one of the proposed options called “Model C”, which Stolte says will cost Chatham-Kent taxpayers three to four times more than having the two services separate.
