Talks break down between B.C.’s 911 operators, E-Comm but no job action planned
Posted November 2, 2019 9:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER – The union representing 911 operators across British Columbia says mediated talks broke down Friday with their employer, E-Comm, but the company says it still wants to bargain.
CUPE Local 873-02, the union representing emergency dispatchers and support staff, says E-Comm has been unwilling to address low wages, cost of living, overtime, missed breaks, poor working conditions, burnout and high attrition.
Unit Chair Matthew Bordewick says it became apparent during bargaining that E-Comm is “desperately underfunded” and clearly lacks the resources to deliver a critical public service.
E-Comm, which handles approximately 99 per cent of 911 calls in B.C., says mediator Trevor Sones has not booked out and the two sides are still in mediation at the Labour Relations Board.
Bordewick says chronic underfunding by E-Comm has led to unacceptable wait times for both emergency and non-emergency calls and as a result, E-Comm has been consistently unable to meet its targets for calls answered and times to dispatch.
He says the union and employer will now shift their focus to addressing essential service levels and the union will not consider job action until those levels have been established by the Labour Board.
