The workers that provide 99 per cent of the initial 911 calls for B.C. have overwhelmingly voted in favour of strike action.
The Emergency Communications Professionals of B.C. voted 95 per cent in favour of job action following a 24-hour electronic strike vote that opened May 13, the union announced in a release Thursday (May 14). The workers are represented by CUPE 8911.
“This vote reflects the reality frontline staff are facing every day,” CUPE 8911 president Donald Grant said. “Our members are under increasing pressure, and they need an agreement that supports them and stabilizes the system.”
The union said workers are seeking an agreement that includes fair wages reflecting the responsibility and complexity of the job, safe staffing levels and improved health and wellness supports. The union added all of that is essential to recruiting and retaining skilled professionals and ensuring the 911 system can respond effectively during periods of heightened demand and major emergencies.
The union previously said it has been unable to reach a new contract with the employer, E-Comm 9-1-1, after months of negotiations.
While a strike vote doesn’t mean guaranteed job action by union members, it gives the union the legal authority to do so.
A plan is currently being worked out to negotiate an essential services order. The union says once that is complete, workers will be in a legal strike position.
E-Comm has worksites in Vancouver, Burnaby and Saanich. They also answer, triage, dispatch and update emergency calls for 33 police agencies and 40 fire departments across the province.