(Image: Allan Dearing)
The owner of a New Brunswick paramedic college is hoping the recent reclassification will bring more medical professionals to the province.
Joel Mattatall says there is already an indication of a desire to return, “Just with friends who left the province to go work out West or work in other provinces are coming back.”
Mattatall chaired the reclassification committee over the three-year battle to be identified as medical professionals.
He says this will also hopefully attract more people who would like to study as paramedics and then stay in New Brunswick to work.
“I’m noting, at least anecdotally an influx of paramedics should be coming to New Brunswick. This is a much-needed morale boost for the province’s paramedics,” Mattatall says
This reclassification also means they will now be a part of the New Brunswick Union with other medical professionals, instead of CUPE, where Mattatall says they were represented alongside those occupied in roles such as janitorial and service staff.
This could also include a wage increase of over seven per cent, “There’s no guarantee of a wage increase, and this was never about a wage increase.
He also believes this is the first time in the country where an analysis has been done of the paramedic profession that has resulted in a reclassification as medical professionals.
“I have never witnessed paramedics as united as they are now and I think it is because truth is on our side. I don’t think the public or anyone would disagree that Paramedics are medical professionals and are vital in the delivery of healthcare,” Mattatall says.
