[ad_1]CUPE Local 4911, which represents Peterborough City-County paramedics, has been bargaining with Peterborough County for a new collective agreement since March 2026. (Photo: CUPE 4911 Peterborough Paramedics / Facebook)CUPE Local 4911 members who are paramedics in Peterborough City-County cannot strike before 6:30 a. m. on Friday, November 13, due to a ruling from the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB). The county made this announcement on Friday (October 30), just under 12 hours before paramedics were expected to be in a legal strike position at midnight on Saturday. As of publication time, there was no response from CUPE Local 4911 regarding the decision. Advertisement - content continues below The county mentioned that this delay gives both sides more time to work out a new essential ambulance services agreement (EASA), which outlines the minimum number of paramedics and ambulances required to stay operational during any strike. Ontario law prevents paramedics from striking unless an EASA is established, and there is disagreement between the county and CUPE Local 4911 over whether the existing EASA from 2017 is still valid. CUPE argues that the 2017 EASA is still active, stating that both parties needed to give 190 days’ notice if they wanted to cancel it. The union accused the county of rushing to the OLRB at the last moment to try and nullify it and push back the October 31 strike deadline. The county explained that their disagreement about the status of the 2017 EASA agreement led to OLRB proceedings. Emphasizing public safety as their priority, they stated that this extra time granted by Friday's ruling will help negotiate a new EASA. If an agreement isn't reached, OLRB will step in to make a decision. Advertisement - content continues below This OLRB decision came after Tuesday’s final scheduled bargaining session wrapped up without a tentative collective agreement. Paramedics have been working without an agreement since negotiations began in March. CUPR indicated on Wednesday that after six months of talks, both sides are still far apart on key issues like wage parity with other first responders and proper mental health benefits. They expressed readiness to return for negotiations if meaningful progress could be made to avoid disruptions. A significant majority of CUPE Local 4911 members voted in favor of a strike mandate on September 25; specifically, 185 out of 187 members-99 percent-supported it. Following this vote, they received a no-board report which initially set them up for entering into legal strike status by October 31. CUPR Local president Jordan Lean told kawartha NOW earlier this week that while they don’t want to go on strike, they're prepared for job action if necessary to reach an agreement. “We don’t want to strike, but if we need to, that is one avenue to promote change,” Lean said. The union has identified key issues like compensation, mental health support, recruitment efforts, and retention strategies during these negotiations. Lean noted that full-time paramedics currently get $500 each year for mental health coverage while part-time and casual staff receive nothing. He also pointed out that Peterborough City-County Paramedics lost about 55 paramedics over three years due largely to rising call volumes, workplace pressure points, and better pay elsewhere. Advertisement - content continues below The county disagrees with how the union describes recruitment and retention challenges. This past Wednesday, they shared details about their latest offer made on October 27 which included wage increases totaling nearly 18 percent over three years along with annual mental health coverage amounting to $5,000 for full-time paramedics and dependents as well as $2,000 for part-time paramedics. The county believes their proposed wages would make Peterborough’s paramedics among the highest paid in Eastern Ontario where contracts have been settled so far. They also noted an average yearly turnover rate of nine departing paramedics-around five percent of their workforce-for various reasons each year. Additionally, they suggested sending unresolved bargaining matters off for independent arbitration-a proposal they say was rejected by the union. 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