Peterborough City-County Paramedics Nearly Vote Unanimously to Strike Amid Mental Health Coverage, Pay Equity and Workplace Protection Issues

Paramedics with Peterborough City-County Paramedics (PCCP) voted 185 to 187 in favour of striking to secure better mental health coverage, pay equity with other first responders and stronger protection for workplace injuries, announced on Thursday.

Photo by David Tuan Bui.

According to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) 4911, 187 of 193 bargaining unit members participated in the 99 per cent strike mandate.

“Paramedics don’t want to strike. We want to do our jobs, taking care of patients while we build our career in Peterborough,” said Jordan Lean, CUPE 4911 president. “Our members see what’s happening in this service and are saying enough is enough. We’re losing experienced people, injuries are increasing, and management isn’t responding with any urgency to support workers or end the crisis in the service.”

CUPE members began bargaining in March with proposals to improve paramedic services, including addressing recruitment challenges, supporting workers dealing with the mental health impacts of the job and ensuring paramedics are fairly compensated for their life-saving work.

According to CUPE, one of members’ central proposals is improving mental health coverage for paramedics, as they said they have $500 of coverage annually, which covers roughly three sessions with a psychotherapist or psychologist. Part-time workers are not eligible for mental health benefits.

“The people doing this work see trauma, death, and tragedy as part of their job every shift. That’s true for part-time paramedics who are new on the job as much as for 20-year full-time veterans,” said Lean. “It makes no sense to tell a part-time paramedic that their mental health is worth less. If we’re serious about keeping people in this profession, we need mental health support for everyone.”

CUPE says that over the last three years, 54 full-time and part-time paramedics have left the service because of increased call volumes, a lack of workplace support, and better wages and benefits elsewhere.

“We’re losing the people who have the most experience and we’re having a harder time replacing them,” said Lean. “That should be setting off alarm bells. Instead, there’s no serious plan to keep experienced paramedics in the service.”

CUPE 4911 reported an increase of 50 per cent in workplace injuries between 2024 and 2025 while 14 per cent of full-time paramedics were off due to work injuries last year. According to a press release, Peterborough paramedics earn roughly 20 per cent less than other first responders.

“185 paramedics voted to strike to send a clear message to management, the Chief, and city and county councillors that the status quo simply isn’t working,” said Lean. “We want a fair agreement that supports the people doing this work, and Peterborough residents deserve a paramedic service that is strong, stable, and there for them when they need it.”

The parties are currently scheduled to return to the bargaining table on Oct. 6.

Engage with us on social media on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads, Tiktok, Youtube and LinkedIn. Write to us at tips@ptbocanada.com. Sign up for our newsletter here.