Selected Highlights of the New CBA
Significant gains were achieved in the most recent round of bargaining. Please find below the changes with the greatest impact to your day to day work in EMS.
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Article 2 - Definitions :
2.04 - Updated Basic Rate of Pay to include
Educational allowance payable as per Letter of Understanding #28
Long Service Pay Adjustments payable as per Letter of Understanding #50
2.16 - Added definition “Emergency”
means an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action. A situation is not an Emergency if it results from a reasonably foreseeable combination of circumstances or if reasonable remedial steps could have been or can still be taken to deal with the circumstances.
Local Conditions applicable to EMS
Amend Article 2 to include the following:
2.15 Added - “Rover” shall mean a Regular or Temporary Full-time or Part-time Employee whose primary function is to fill short and long-term staff vacancies. “Rover” is not a Casual Employee or status “Rover Employee” is one who:
(i) will be assigned to a platoon or a rotation;
(ii) will have a scheduled start-time;
(iii) will be scheduled to fill shifts on an ad hoc basis based on operational need;
(iv) will be assigned a station/site for the purpose of Article 20 Travel Expenses only; and is exempt from the provisions under Article 10.10 (a), (b)(ii) and (iii) of the EHS Local Conditions. Regularized Relief will be considered as “Rovers” for the purpose of filling vacancies.”
Article 3 - Management Rights
3.01 - Added :
The Employer will exercise its rights in a manner which is professional, fair and reasonable in the circumstances, and in accordance with the Collective Agreement.
Article 4 - Recognition and Union business
4.03 - Added
The Union will exercise their rights in a manner which is professional, fair and reasonable in the circumstances, and in accordance with the Collective Agreement.
4.08 - Stewards
(a) - removed inclusive of their level within the program
(HSAA Stewards no long have levels / no context for statement in current steward program)
Article 5 - Dues Deductions and Union Membership
5.08 - Added
In the event of a strike or lockout the timelines required for the Union to provide notice of a change to the rate at which dues are to be deducted or for a Special Assessment deduction listed in Articles 5.04 and 5.06 shall be reduced to not less than fourteen (14) days.
(Allows HSAA to adjust dues to the 30% strike/lockout rate in a more timely manner. See HSAA constitution for more details https://hsaa.ca/documents/constitution)
Article 9 - Probationary Period
9.02 - Added
An Employee must complete their probationary period prior to transferring to or accepting another position with the Employer, unless prior approval is granted by the Employer. Where the request is denied, the Employer will respond in writing and reasons shall be given within five (5) working days. The Employer shall not unreasonably deny such request for approval.
Article 10 - Hours of Work - from EMS Local Conditions
10.05 - Updated
Employees working on an emergency response/patient transport vehicle/aircraft or standby assignments are expected to take rest periods during their shift, as time permits, in accordance with Employer guidelines. The Employer guidelines shall not conflict with Employment Standards.
Where such an Employee has not received a rest period within five (5) hours of work they may contact their responsible on duty supervisor to make arrangements for a rest period. Requests will not be unreasonably denied except where an accident occurs, urgent work is necessary, or other unforeseeable or unpreventable circumstances occur, or it is not reasonable for the Employee to take a rest period. Rest periods taken in accordance with this clause are paid at the Basic Rate of Pay.
(Paramedics are no longer limited to a break following 5 hours of continuous work)
Added - 10.11 Rover Posting and Schedule Changes (not applicable to Casual Employees)
(a) When a Rover has not been scheduled twelve (12) hours in advance of their scheduled shift, they shall report to their assigned start location at their assigned start time.
(b) Except in cases of emergency or by mutual agreement between the Employer and the Employee:
(i) If, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the Employee's scheduled shift (i.e. days to nights) but not their day off, without twelve (12) hours they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on the first shift of the changed schedule;
(ii) If, in the course of a posted schedule, the Employer changes the Employee's shift start time by more than two (2) hours, and without twelve (12) hours notice, they shall be paid at the rate of two times (2X) their Basic Rate of Pay for all hours worked on that shift.
Article 12 - Over Time
12.05 added
The Employer shall limit the use of mandatory overtime.
Article 13 - On-Call Pay - from EMS Local Conditions
13.04 (a) on regularly scheduled days of work, the sum of seven dollars ($7.00) per hour; and
13.04 (b) on days off and Named Holidays, the sum of seven dollars ($7.00) per hour. A Named Holiday or non-work day shall run from zero zero zero one (0001) hours on the Named Holiday or non-work day to twenty-four hundred (2400) hours of the same day.
Article 15 - Recognition of Previous Experience
15.05 Added
Employees shall be provided up to sixty (60) days from their start date to provide the necessary documentation for recognition of previous experience, unless an extension is otherwise requested by the Employee within those sixty (60) days. The Employee and the Employer will act reasonably in requesting and agreeing to an extension.
15.06 Added
Once placement on the salary scale is established as per this Article such placement shall be paid retroactive to their start date.
Article 17 - Responsibility Pay and Preceptor Pay
17.02 Added
Preceptor Pay
(a). An Employee assigned by the Employer to act as a preceptor for students in:
(i) a post-secondary program recognized by the Employer, or
(ii) a specialized education, practice or training program recognized by the Employer,
shall receive an additional two dollars ($2.00) per hour for such responsibility and approved hours.
(b) The Employer will give consideration to those Employees who express interest in accepting assignments as a preceptor.
(c) “Preceptor” shall mean an Employee who is assigned to supervise, educate and evaluate students referred to in Article 17.02(a) above.
Article 20 - Travel Expenses
EHS /EMS no longer excluded from this article (EMS can now claim mileage and time)
20.01 b - Updated definition - added station for EMS
Office or Station - applicable only to Employees who provide services in the community or are assigned to a geographic location and work in or out of a regular office or station.
20.01f - updated to 20km
When the Employee is required to start, or to end their work day at a location other than their designated work location, the travel is on the Employee’s own time unless the one way trip adds more than twenty (20) kilometres to their usual travel. Once the twenty (20) kilometre radius has been reached, the Employee will be paid kilometerage for the entire difference between their usual travel and the alternate route and time for their additional travel. Usual travel is considered the distance from the Employee’s residence to their designated work location.
20.05 Duty – Incurred Expenses - From EMS local Conditions - Updated
When an Employee is required to standby at a location or event or are dispatched on ambulance service involving travel beyond forty (40) kilometres from their Site and for a period of greater than five (5) hours, the Employee shall receive a nineteen dollar ($19.00) meal allowance for the first five (5) hours duration (calculated by daily maximum allowance per Article 20.05 divided by 3) and each subsequent period of five (5) hours duration of such duties to a maximum of fifty seven dollars ($57.00) per day. No receipt required.
Where an Employee is required to come within the forty (40) kilometer radius as determined by taking the shortest or most appropriate route to an assigned location or event but remain away from their site for a period of five (5) hours or more, they shall be permitted to claim a meal allowance as noted above.
(Once a unit travels outside of a 40 km radius of their station, for every 5 hours they do not return, they may claim a meal allowance)
Article 27 - Over/Under Payments
27.01 - updated to include:
The Employer and the Employee shall act reasonably when discussing and arranging repayment options.
Article 29 - Promotions, Transfers and Vacancies
29.01 - updated for portability between PHAs / PHCs who are signatories
(c) Subject to Article 29.05 when vacancies are filled, first consideration shall be given to Employees who are already members of the bargaining unit. When considering external applicants for posted vacancies, the determining factors shall be experience, performance and qualifications applicable to the position.
Where these factors are adjudged by the Employer to be relatively equal, the order of consideration for filling vacancies shall be:
(i) Employees of other Provincial Health Agencies or Provincial Health Corporations or Employers that are signatories to this collective agreement;
(ii) then all other external candidates
Article 33 - Leaves of Absence
33.03 f - added
Professional Development Days
(i) Upon request each Regular Employee shall be granted three (3) Professional Development Days annually paid at the Basic Rate of Pay, for professional development directly related to their discipline.
(ii) Professional Development Days unused in each fiscal year shall not be carried forward into subsequent years.
(iii) Requests for such paid Professional Development Days shall be made in writing to the Employer as early as possible and shall not be unreasonably denied.
(iv) Implementation of Professional Development Days shall be as follows:
(a) Effective date of ratification, each Regular Employee shall receive one (1) day, Effective
(b) April 1, 2026, each Regular Employee shall receive three (3) days.
33.09 - Leave for Public Office - Updated definition to
serve at the municipal, provincial, federal, first nations or other indigenous government level,
Leave increased to 5 years
33.13 - Domestic Violence leave
Updated to 5 days with pay per calendar year
33.15 - Humanitarian Leave added
Upon application by an Employee, the Employer may grant an unpaid leave of absence for Humanitarian Leave. Humanitarian leave may be granted when an Employee is a member of a recognized humanitarian organization and their team is deployed to respond to natural disasters, emergencies, or other humanitarian crises. These leaves shall include but are not limited to government funded urban search and rescue team, the Canadian Red Cross disaster relief team, Canadian government Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART). If a situation arises where multiple leaves are requested, leaves will be granted based on seniority and/or operational needs.
Article 34 - In-Service Programs
34.01 (e) added
The Professional Driver Improvement Course (PDIC) shall be provided at no cost to those Employees who are required to drive commercial vehicles to transport goods or patients as a condition of employment and as directed to attend by the Employer.
Article 36 - Evaluation, Personal Files, and Employee Health Files
36.06 - Letters of Expectation - updated
(b) During the Employee’s next performance evaluation any Letter(s) of Expectation on the Employee’s personnel file shall be reviewed and the matters addressed may be incorporated into the written evaluation. After the performance evaluation is complete, the Letter(s) of Expectation shall be removed.
36.07 - Attendance program - updated
(a) The Employer’s Attendance Program is applicable to non-culpable attendance concerns and is not disciplinary.
(b) An Employee who is in the Employer’s Attendance Program and has been asked to attend a meeting with the Employer as part of the Attendance Program may be accompanied by a Labour Relations Officer or designate of the Union at such meeting
(c) Once an Employee has exited the Employer’s Attendance Program, any letters received under such program are considered null and void. The Employee may request in writing that their personnel file be cleared of any letters received under such program. The Employer shall confirm that such action has been affected.
Article 37 - Discipline and Dismissal
37.07 - Updated
(a) An Employee, who has been subject to disciplinary action, shall after eighteen (18) months from the date the disciplinary measure was initiated exclusive of absences of thirty (30) consecutive days or more, request in writing that their record be cleared of that disciplinary action. The Employer shall confirm in writing to the Employee that such action has been effected.
(b) Once a disciplinary measure is eligible for removal per Article 37.07(a), the Employer shall not rely on, nor refer to such discipline in responding to new misconduct or performance issues.
Article 42 - Workplace Health, Safety, and Wellness
42.02 - Updated
[JWHS] Committee shall meet at least once a month and within ten (10) days of receiving a written complaint regarding occupational health, safety, or wellness. A Terms of Reference for the committee(s) will be developed with the participation and agreement of the Union.
42.04 - Updated
The applicable rate of pay shall be paid to an Employee representative for time spent in attendance at a meeting of this Committee.
42. 09 - Added
The Employer shall notify the Committee, as soon as reasonably possible, of all serious incidents, potentially serious incidents, and dangerous work refusals. The Committee shall participate in investigations of serious incidents, potentially serious incidents, and dangerous work refusals in accordance with the Joint Workplace Health and Safety Committee Terms of Reference
42.12 (b) added
(b) A request to conduct a psychological health and safety assessment for a specific work area or program shall not be unreasonably denied or delayed.
Article 44: Part-Time, Temporary, and Casual Employees - From EMS Local Conditions
44.08 - Vacation with pay for Part-Time Employees
Fixes outstanding calculator error which results in an increase in vacation time for part time employees
44.08 - Vacation Pay for Casual Employees
Fixes outstanding calculator error which results in an increase in vacation time for casual employees
Article 50: Uniform and Clothing Issues - From EMS Local Conditions
Simplified reading
50.02 added
Upon completion of orientation, all uniformed personnel shall be eligible to order one (1) Dress Uniform supplied and fitted by the Employer, with no Uniform Allocation Points deducted.
ARTICLE 50: Employment Insurance Premium Reductions
EMPLOYMENT INSURANCE PREMIUM REDUCTIONS
50.01 The Employee’s portion of all monies from Employment Insurance Commission premium reductions shall be administered for the benefit of Employees by the Employer in accordance with the Employment Insurance Commission’s regulations
ARTICLE 51: PROFESSIONAL FEE REIMBURSEMENT
51.01
(a) The Employer shall reimburse Regular and Temporary Employees up to five hundred and four dollars ($504) per registration year for professional fees or dues for active licensure in their professional college, association, licensing or governing body upon proof of payment by the Employee.
(b) In order to qualify for such reimbursement, Employees are required to have accumulated eight hundred and ten hours (810) actually worked combined between all Employers signatory to this Collective Agreement and paid at the Basic Rate of Pay in the previous year. Employees who work at multiple Employers signatory to this collective agreement shall only be eligible for a total maximum reimbursement of five hundred and four dollars ($504). Employees shall comply with the administrative controls in place to prevent reimbursement in excess of the annual maximum.
New Letters of understanding:
LOU # 45 - RE: Support for Employees Upgrading Education
The Parties agree that supporting Employees while they are upgrading their education in their field is mutually beneficial to the Employer and the Employee. Therefore, the Parties agree to the following:
Employees may request a Leave of Absence (LOA) of up to twenty-four (24) months from their Regular position to fulfill the requirements of their education program. The request for LOA shall include the name of the program, whether the program will be part-time or full-time studies, and the expected duration of the LOA, which shall not be greater than twenty-four (24) months unless otherwise agreed to by the Employer. The Employee shall also indicate if they are willing to work as a Casual during the LOA.
The Employer shall respond to the request for LOA within fourteen (14) calendar days.
Requests for LOA under this Letter of Understanding shall not be unreasonably denied. If the Employer denies the request, the response shall be provided in writing and rationale provided at the same time.
Employees who agree to work as a Casual Employee during their LOA shall not be required to work a minimum number of shifts to maintain their Employment in their Casual status. Where minimum hours are required or recommended for skills maintenance, Employer related education and training may be required upon returning to work.
The Employee must provide thirty (30) days’ notice of their return to work from their LOA. The Employer will reinstate the Employee in the same position and classification held by them immediately prior to taking such leave or be provided with alternate work of a comparable nature.
Where an Employee cannot return to work as anticipated and approved, they should notify the Employer of their reason(s) as soon as possible.
Should an Employee on a LOA under this Letter of Understanding not return to work as anticipated and approved, and without sufficient reason, reinstatement in accordance with paragraph 5 of this Letter of Understanding does not apply.
This Letter of Understanding can be terminated with ninety (90) days’ notice by either party. When notice to terminate under this paragraph is served, Employees on an approved LOA will be permitted to finish their program as per the terms of this Letter of Understanding.
LOU # 48 - RE: Removal of Waiting Period for the Employee Benefit Plans
Effective the first day of the month following ninety (90) days post ratification, the coverage provided under the supplementary benefits plan shall be amended as follows:
Removal of the existing waiting period for Employee Benefit Plans.
Provided the Employee is actively at work and meets the benefit eligibility criteria, coverage shall be:
Effective the benefit eligibility date for life, accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), short term disability (STD) and long-term disability (LTD) insurance.
Effective the first day of the month following the benefit eligibility date for health and dental coverage, including access to allocated flex credits.
LOU # 48 - RE: Workload Appeal Process
Workload
The Parties recognize the importance of discussions regarding workload. Workload is understood to be an objective assessment of the support (staffing, training, communication, skill mix), equipment (devices, technology, supplies), and/or time available to the Employee to complete their assigned work.
The Parties recognize that workload may fluctuate and may be impacted by numerous factors including, but not limited to:
acuity,
changes in patient population,
seasonality, surge periods,
process improvements and efficiencies,
staff/resource fluctuations, and
increasing demands.
Discussing Workload Concerns
The Employee shall first discuss their workload concern with their immediate supervisor and attempt to resolve the matter at this stage. In the event that it is not resolved, the Employee has the ability to request a formal evaluation of their workload concern through the following Workload Appeal Process:
Level 1 – Formal Workload Evaluation
The Parties agree that only workload concerns that are ongoing, systemic, and longterm in nature (evidenced by the fact that the concern has continued for a minimum period of sixty (60) calendar days) may be considered as part of the Workload Appeal Process.
Where an Employee or group of Employees has a workload concern that is ongoing, systematic and long-term in nature, the Employee(s) may request, in writing, that their Manager conduct a formal workload evaluation. In this written submission, the Employee(s) must include an explanation of the factors they believe are leading to workload concerns, based on the understood components of workload (support, equipment and/or time to complete assigned work). This should include proposed solutions to the workload concerns. The Manager (or designate) shall meet with the Employee(s) and respond in writing within twenty-one (21) calendar days following the meeting.
Level 2 – Review by Department Director
If the Manager and the Employee or group of Employees are unable to resolve the workload concern, the Employee(s) may within seven (7) calendar days of the response at Level 1, request the Department Director (or designate) undertake a further review of their workload concern. The Department Director (or designate) will respond within fourteen (14) calendar days of receipt of the workload concern.
Level 3 – Review by Senior Operating/Program Officer
If the Employee or group of Employees is not satisfied with the outcome at Level 2, within seven (7) calendar days of the response at Level 2, the Employee may request the Senior Operating/Program Officer (or designate) review their workload concern. The Senior Operating/Program Officer (or designate) shall make the final decision regarding the workload evaluation, and convey the decision in writing, to the Employee(s) within twentyone (21) days.
The time limits in the Workload Appeal Process may be extended by mutual agreement of the Parties. A subsequent evaluation request for the same workload concern within the same unit or area may only be made where substantive changes have occurred since the last review.
Dispute Resolution
The timelines and process steps in this Letter of Understanding are subject to Article 46: Grievance Procedure.
The final decision regarding the outcome of the Workload Appeal Process is not subject to Article 46: Grievance Procedure.
The parties agree to implement the Workload Appeal Process outlined above on a trial basis.
LOU # 50 - RE: Long Service Pay (LSPA)
The Parties recognize that there are a number of experienced Employees. The Parties recognize the contribution of these Employees and wish to take steps to encourage these Employees to remain in the system.
As such, in addition to the rates of pay specified in the Salary Appendix, an Employee who has twenty (20) or more calendar years of service with the Employer shall receive a two (2%) percent Long Service Pay Adjustment (LSPA). This shall form part of the Employee’s Basic Rate of Pay.
LOU # 51 - RE: Review of Classification’s Total Compensation
The Parties agree that competitive and fair compensation is essential to the recruitment and retention of qualified health care employees. Accordingly, during the term of the Collective Agreement, the Parties agree to the following:
Purpose
The Parties acknowledge that the health care labour market is constantly evolving. This process is designed to provide a mechanism to identify compensation gaps and support the recruitment and retention of qualified health care workers.
The Employer and Union may identify specific classifications within the Main Salaries Appendices inclusive of Emergency Medical Services, where empirical evidence has identified significant challenges with total compensation. Either Party may then submit a recommendation to review total compensation and compare them to relevant market data. The Parties agree that this LOU is only about total compensation and not about the classification of positions.
Criteria
Criteria to be considered when determining if a classification requires a market adjustment or market supplement, shall include but not be limited to the following:
Vacancy rate analysis
Recruitment analysis
Total compensation analysis of appropriate comparator groups
Data Sharing
The Parties agree to share all available data as per the criteria listed above to facilitate an informed review.
Meetings
The Parties shall meet at mutually agreed times to discuss, analyze, and review the data collected. Additional meetings may be scheduled as required to complete the review.
Recommendations
When the Parties jointly agree that a classification is materially under market and creates recruitment and retention challenges, they shall prepare a written recommendation outlining the proposed monetary amendment to address the issue. Any monetary amendments recommended under this process shall be considered by the Employer.
No Prejudice This Letter of Understanding is without prejudice to the positions of either Party in future collective bargaining.
EHS LOU #11 - RE: Commitment to Discuss EHS Letters of Understanding #2 and #3 in the Collective Agreement
Within ninety (90) days of ratification of this Collective Agreement, the Parties agree to:
Establish a committee to discuss the benefits and challenges associated with the current EHS Letters of Understandings #2 and #3.
The committee will develop a Terms of Reference
The committee will examine opportunities to align metro processes related to partner picks and expressions of interest.
The committee will be authorized to recommend alterations to current EHS Letters of Understandings #2 and #3 to their stakeholders.
The committee shall be comprised of equal numbers of Employer and Union representatives, and each will choose their own representatives.
The committee will meet virtually (ie: Teams or Zoom) every two (2) months, or as the Parties mutually agree.
There shall be no loss of income for time spent by Employees at meetings.
EHS LOU #12 - RE: Trial of Automatic Progression Between Emergency Health Services (EHS) Classification Series
Whereas the Parties endeavour to support the recruitment and retention of EHS Employees with the Employer, AND
Whereas the Parties agree that a seamless transition between EHS classifications (Emergency Medical Responder (EMR) to Primary Care Paramedic (PCP) or PCP to Advanced Care Paramedic (ACP)) is important upon the successful completion of a required education program, change of designation training and registration, AND
Whereas the Parties agree that such progression encourages EHS Employees to further their EHS education and achieve advanced EHS designations, while remaining with the Employer, AND
Whereas the Parties agree that allowing individuals the ability to remain at their current Site, to the extent possible, after successfully completing EHS education and training supports long-term retention,
Now therefore, the Parties agree to allow, on a trial basis, automatic progression when an Employee changes professional designation from an EMR to a PCP, or from a PCP to an ACP. An EMR advancing to a PCP or a PCP advancing to an ACP either through this Letter of Understanding or via Article 29 will be placed on the same step in the new classification wage grid as in the previous wage grid (i.e. step 4 PCP to step 4 ACP).
Employee’s currently in a PCP or ACP role, will on a one-time basis have their wage step made equivalent to the step they were at prior to advancing to the higher classification along with any additional step(s) accumulated after advancing. Any remaining hours will be maintained for future step increases effective date of ratification.
Current Employees will have sixty (60) days following the date of ratification to notify the Employer of such inclusion. If on a leave of absence, the Employee shall be granted sixty (60) days following their return to work date.
Current enrollees in a PCP or ACP education program shall have consideration under this Letter of Understanding using the same qualification parameters.
The following consideration will apply to all areas not covered by EHS Letter of Understanding #2 and Letter of Understanding #3.
Prior to enrolment into one of the above noted classifications’ education programs, the Employee will notify the Employer and the Union and request consideration under this Letter of Understanding. Approval will be granted based on operational feasibility (ie: vacancy rate, budget and recruitment trends). Such considerations will be shared with the Union.
Approval will be on a first come first served basis by Zone and will be honoured for the next program intake, after which:
The Employee will, on a one-time basis, be permitted to transfer to a vacant schedule at their Site to advance to the next level of classification (EMR to PCP, or PCP to ACP). A process-based waiver of posting will be used to support this initiative.
An EMR who has advanced to a PCP, or a PCP who has advanced to ACP will be provided with a vacancy list within their current Site to identify schedules in the new classification available for them.
When a vacant schedule is not immediately available at the Employee’s Site, the Employee will temporarily continue working their current schedule in the higher classification. When a vacant schedule(s) becomes available, the Employee will either select from the available vacant schedule(s) based on seniority or be assigned to an available vacant schedule in order of seniority and transferred into the higher classification.
Should the Employee reject the assigned schedule in the higher classification, the Employer and Employee shall meet to discuss, and when no extenuating circumstances exist the Employee will revert to their previously held schedule in their former classification as an EMR or PCP.
Any subsequent transfers or promotions must be in accordance with Article 29 of the Collective Agreement
