Private N.L. ambulance operators reach deal
Last Updated: Monday, November 16, 2009 | 8:34 AM NT
CBC News
Private ambulance operators in Newfoundland and Labrador reached a tentative deal with the provincial government over the weekend.
The deal comes just more than a week after the private operators pulled their ambulances off the roads to put pressure on provincial negotiators. Full service was restored within days, after the province committed to addressing some of their concerns.
The deal, if accepted, will see the 28 operators get an increase of 35 per cent over four years.
The pay for paramedics will increase to $18.50 an hour. That's still about $2 an hour less than health board paramedics make.
The companies had also been concerned about a controversial clause that would give the government the right to cancel a contract without awarding compensation. There's no word on how that part of the dispute was resolved.
