Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board released another new applications report for April 2024. In it was an application for union certification.
On 12 April 2024, the International Association of Fire Fighters filed the application on behalf of paramedics employed by Medavie Health Services West.
Medavie was founded in 2018 when 3 private, for-profit EMS companies—MD Ambulance, Guardian Ambulance, and Prairie EMS—merged. The Saskatoon-based merged company operates in Saskatoon, northeastern Alberta, and central Alberta.
The application filed by the IAFF is specifically for workers employed in Medavie’s central Alberta coverage area, including Innisfail, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, and Red Deer County.
The more than 100 workers employed by Medavie in Central Alberta provide hospital transfers, emergency medical response, and emergency scene management services.
IAFF already represents hundreds of firefighters and paramedics employed by municipal governments throughout Alberta, including Airdrie, Calgary, Canmore, Chestermere, Cochrane, Fort Saskatchewan, Grande Prairie, Leduc,Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Okotoks, and Spruce Grove.
The ALRB has scheduled a hearing for Monday, during which time, the employer will have a chance to argue why they think these workers shouldn’t be able to unionize with IAFF.
If the board approves the application, they will organize and supervise a vote for the workers, during which time they will choose whether to unionize.
If the majority of the workers vote in favour of unionization, then their next step will be to create a bargaining team and begin negotiating their first contract with Medavie.
Because the ALRB doesn’t archive their new application reports, I’ve included a copy of this report below.
