Majority of Winnipeg paramedics say they've considered quitting over workplace issues: union survey

More than half of Winnipeg paramedics who responded to a recent union survey said they've been bullied on the job — and nearly two-thirds said they've considered quitting over frustration with how workplace issues are handled.

About one-third of the first responders who filled out the membership survey, commissioned by the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union and conducted by Viewpoints Research, said they had experienced sexism at work, while just under 20 per cent reported being the target of racism.

MGEU president Michelle Gawronsky said she had heard about those types of incidents through conversations with paramedics, but she had no idea how prevalent they were until she saw the results of the survey, which were released on Wednesday.

"To hear the extent of it was both shocking to me and disappointing to know that [it was still happening] after all of these years, after people coming forward for months ... to say we need to correct the problem," Gawronsky said.

The online survey, which was conducted April 13-29 and had responses from 100 Winnipeg-based paramedics, comes amid escalating tensions between paramedics and firefighters in the joint Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service in recent months.

Those issues were exacerbated after the release of a third-party report in February that found several firefighters showed implicit bias and a lack of concern for the well-being of a seriously injured Indigenous patient on a call in October. 

That report was followed by a memo from the United Fire Fighters of Winnipeg union that expressed support for the firefighters involved in the incident.

Gawronsky previously said that memo worsened the situation in fire halls to the point where some paramedics were anxious going to work and others quit altogether.

About two-thirds of respondents to the union survey — which got responses from about 40 per cent of the city's front-line paramedics last month — said they felt anxious going to work. 

And while nearly 20 per cent of paramedics surveyed described their workplace culture as generally positive, negative terms like "divided" and "toxic" were far more common.

More than half the survey's respondents said they were unsatisfied with their jobs — mostly because of a lack of respect from management and workload issues — and less than six per cent said they felt the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service had their backs as employees.

Patient safety, leadership concerns

Paramedics surveyed also raised concerns about patient safety investigations, with nearly half the respondents saying they feel the probes are rarely or never handled appropriately.

Gawronsky said that finding should sound the alarm for people across Winnipeg.

"Now the crisis in the workplace has deteriorated to the point that patient care has been threatened. We need to be paying attention to this," she said.

The vast majority of paramedics surveyed also said they don't feel Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman and Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service Chief John Lane have shown leadership and set the right tone in dealing with recent workplace issues.

A spokesperson for the mayor said Bowman has been working for years to get direction from the province on the future of paramedic services in Winnipeg. The spokesperson said the mayor appreciates the critical services members of the WFPS provide, which is why he set up a meeting in March with Lane, Gawronsky and others "to facilitate more collaborative dialogue amongst the department's key leaders."

"During that meeting [Gawronsky] committed to working more collaboratively with Chief Lane and the other unions in the WFPS to [effect] the positive changes everyone wants," Jeremy Davis said in an emailed statement, and Bowman encourages Gawronsky "to deliver on that commitment."

City communications director Felicia Wiltshire said Lane and interim city CAO Mike Ruta have been visiting stations across Winnipeg to hear directly from staff, including paramedics and firefighters.

They're developing plans for moving the service forward based on feedback from those ongoing meetings and will communicate directly with staff in the future, Wiltshire said.

Lane, who has led the service since 2014, announced last week he'll be retiring from the position later this year.

Gawronsky said the departure presents a chance to make things right.

"This is an opportunity for the City of Winnipeg … [to] not just put another person in the chair, but to ensure that this culture ceases and desists once and for all, that everyone that works for WFPS knows that they are respected and they are valued for the work and the services they provide," she said.