After more than a year working without a contract, Peel Paramedics get ‘monumental’ pay boost

On July 31, Peel paramedics won a partial victory with a new contract that includes a salary boost, mental health coverage for part-time and regular workers and doubling the healthcare spending limit for retired employees, while agreement on other key issues could not be reached.

"We saw significant movement towards pay parity with police and fire, although we were unable to achieve retention pay to reward our more senior paramedics," Dave Wakely, president of Peel Paramedic Union OPSEU/SEFPO Local 277, said in an interview with The Pointer.

Peel’s paramedics worked without a contract for more than a year, seeking wages more in line with other first responders.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer)

"We saw benefit improvements for our full-time folks. We were able to extend mental health coverage to include our part-time and temporary or part-time and casual workers, so now they have access to mental health care.”

In a detailed analysis by Jeffrey Bilyk, the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) expert described the new contract as a “monumental achievement” and “seismic shift” in terms of wage increases, the central feature of the agreement.

In a breakdown of the contract, Bilyk noted that the compounded 24.5 percent wage increases over four years means an Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP) earning $48.69 hourly in 2023 will make $60.71 in 2027, an annual base salary increase from $106,338 to $132,583, while a Primary Care Paramedic (PCP)  will see a wage increase on hourly basis from $43.47 to $54.20, which translates to an annual base salary rise from $94,938 to $118,368, along with extensions of mental and physical health benefits. The Long Term Disability monthly amount goes from $3,000 to $5,000 with similar gains for part-time staff, who will enjoy more mental health benefits and other family supports, putting Peel paramedics on equal footing with their police and fire counterparts.

During a January Peel Region council meeting, Wakely told the region’s local elected representatives that paramedics earn $20,000 to $30,000 less compared to other first responders such as police and firefighters. After the recently signed contract, he noted the compensation gap has been reduced by half.

"They committed money. I don't know if we agree in principle on whether or not paramedics should be paid like police and fire, despite the fact that 80 percent of Peel residents we surveyed think that we should be, but the deal that was struck reflects movement in that direction. It cuts the gap pretty much in half. But there's still work to be done in future rounds."

Wakely told The Pointer that the draft of the new contract might take two months.

Dave Wakely, President of Peel Paramedic Union OPSEU/SEFPO Local 277, addressed council in January on the urgent need for fair pay, improved benefits and mental health support for paramedics.

(Region of Peel)

Although the previous contract expired last year, union members have continued working under the Canadian Labour Code permit, which allows employees to remain at work while negotiations are ongoing.

Despite wage increases and enhancements in mental health benefits for workers, conditions on the ground remain challenging for the hyper-growth area’s stretched paramedics.

Issues of harassment and other types of abuse Peel’s paramedics are routinely subjected to, particularly female professionals, have been well documented and remain a sticking point for many of the region’s first responders who have to deal with a range of health crises every hour while often enduring abuse.

Paramedics are commonly verbally and physically assaulted by those they help.

(Alexis Wright/The Pointer) 

During an online discussion on Reddit, one anonymous frontline paramedic highlighted how staffing shortages worsened this summer, with the region failing to meet its hiring quotas for multiple years in a row.

"We didn't hire enough again this year, so arguably, staffing is 'worse’. It's been terrible for a few years, in the summer especially," the person wrote. "But we haven't hired our quota for a few years in a row now. So chronically understaffed. A day with a full roster doesn't happen often, besides stat days aha."

Peel paramedics faced severe staff shortages in the past, with unfilled shifts rising to 15 percent in 2023—the equivalent of 17 ambulances being off the road daily. Despite a proposed $17.3 million for ambulances and fleet investments in the 2025 regional budget, along with 22 additional full-time employees, it remains unclear whether that is enough to alleviate the strain on the system, leaving residents vulnerable.

A report from the Metamorphosis Network published last year shows Peel is underfunded approximately $868,000 annually for schools, public health (including paramedics) and other core services mandated by the Government of Ontario. While $850,000 has been allocated by the Region of Peel over the next two years to the Metamorphosis Network to advocate for fair-share funding from Queen's Park, this effort will not resolve the immediate gaps in essential services.

Despite being exposed to common risks like their police and fire counterparts, paramedics have traditionally earned far less than other first responders.

A study published in June last year by the Occupational Cancer Research Centre (OCRC) found that Ontario paramedics experience cancer risks equal to firefighters and police officers. While there is disparity in work tasks among the three, the research revealed that paramedics are prone to develop melanoma at a rate 2.18 times higher compared to other first responders, and prostate cancer 1.73 times more often than workers in the two other job categories. According to the research, the cause of melanoma is the exposure to solar radiation through open windows or when working outdoors, along with exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in smoke when attending fire scenes without the proper types of protective clothing and equipment. Night shift work, exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic when at fires, and the contaminants in smoke while attending fire events are also among the causes of other types of cancers paramedics commonly suffer from.

“Paramedics share many of the same exposures as firefighters and police as they respond to calls in private homes, public spaces and emergency incidences such as fires, building collapses, motor vehicle incidents and also natural disasters,” Dr. Jeavana Sritharan, the lead author of the research, said.

“Our findings potentially indicate there are some similar carcinogenic exposures that need to be further investigated such as vehicle exhaust, solar radiation and night shift work. There may be other occupational exposures involved that we can’t assess, such as stress, for example.”

Wakely told The Pointer he is hopeful that improved wages and benefits in the new contract will “continue to be competitive” and help attract new paramedics.

He described the agreement as a success for the union.

"Our members are pleased. They understand that this is an important step towards pay parity with the other emergency services." 

The sentiment was echoed on Facebook, where a paramedic using the name “Whipper Watson” celebrated the new contract, writing that paramedic work is “finally being recognized.”

"Might be time to commute to Peel to finish off my Paramedic career.

Parity with police and fire has been a long time coming - it looks like our profession is finally being recognized for the work we do," he posted.

Wages and benefits for Primary Care Paramedics was well short of what is given to other first responders.

(Peel Paramedics)

"This is the tangible realization of 'pay parity' that has been the profession’s rallying cry for over a decade," Bilyk wrote.

"The fact that these increases are retroactive is another significant financial win for the membership, providing immediate and substantial back pay."

Bilyk said the contract will set a precedent for other municipalities in Ontario, and it will not only transform the lives of paramedics but also elevate the entire profession for years to come.

"The 2024–2028 Peel Paramedic tentative agreement is more than just a new contract. It is a validation of the paramedic profession’s evolution," he said.

"This will inevitably make Peel a 'destination service,' enhancing its ability to recruit top-tier candidates and, more importantly, retain its experienced veteran paramedics."

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