BC Ambulance Paramedics to Take Strike Vote

The Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC), representing CUPE Local 873, has reached a critical point in its ongoing contract negotiations with the provincial government and employer.

According to the BC Ambulance Paramedics union, talks are at an impasse and no meaningful progress has been made at recent meetings.

The union has announced plans for a strike vote among its more than 6,000 members.

These members include frontline paramedics, emergency medical dispatchers, call takers, and support staff who provide essential ambulance and emergency health services across British Columbia.

The electronic strike vote is scheduled to open on February 2, 2026, and will run for two weeks, closing around February 16, 2026.

The union describes the potential labour action as steming from longstanding concerns, including severe staffing shortages, chronic burnout and overwork among paramedics and dispatchers, inadequate resources to meet growing demand, and the employer's failure to address these core workplace issues in proposals for a new collective agreement.

If the vote delivers a strong mandate in favour and an essential services order is established (as required for public safety roles to protect emergency response), members could be in a legal position to initiate strike or limited forms of job action, such as overtime restrictions or work-to-rule measures.

No strike is currently underway.

The last full-scale strike by Ambulance Paramedics of British Columbia (APBC / CUPE Local 873) occurred in 2009, lasting approximately seven months from April 1 until legislation forced an end in early November.

The dispute began after the collective agreement expired at the end of March 2009, with paramedics and dispatchers going on strike over issues including staffing levels, wages, and working conditions.

An interim essential services order was issued by the Labour Relations Board to ensure emergency responses continued, limiting the action to picket lines and impacts on non-essential duties rather than a complete walkout.

The strike was ultimately ended by Bill 21, back-to-work legislation passed by the B.C. legislature on November 7, 2009, which imposed a new contract.

Since 2009, there have been no full strikes. Recent negotiations (such as in 2022–2023) featured strike vote threats or mandates but did not lead to job action.

In essential services like paramedicine, any potential job action would likely involve limited measures (e.g., overtime bans or work-to-rule) to comply with essential services requirements, rather than full withdrawal of emergency services.