Head of Toronto paramedics' union faces theft and mischief charges

MMiz

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Head of Toronto paramedics' union faces theft and mischief charges

A Toronto labour leader who heads the Emergency Medical Services section of the city’s outside workers union has been charged with two counts of car theft and two counts of mischief following a bizarre incident that saw a stolen ambulance abandoned downtown in the middle of the night with a union poster taped to it and its emergency lights flashing.

Glenn Fontaine, 45, was arrested and charged by detectives from 52 Division Monday afternoon following a two-week investigation.

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I was waiting to see how this would pan out. Worst kept secret in the GTA was who to suspect in the theft of an Ambulance from 40 Station and parked it on the lawn at Queen's Park, running, with the lights on.

I am not a member of Toronto EMS and can't speak as a Toronto Paramedic, but I do work in Southern Ontario. Mr Fontaine managed to bring attention to EMS in what was otherwise a garbage strike as far as the public was concerned. Unfortunately he's done it in the absolute worst way and will only serve to discredit the profession. The garbage guys can afford to be militant and piss peopl off during job action, we can't.

Also, in case it wasn't clear in the article, Mr Fontaine's assertion that Paramedics were poised to conduct a wildcat strike last week is only his own call to arms rather then any organized plan. Any Toronto medic I talked to was planning on coming into work (and then have 25% sent home) as normal and abiding by the essential services order.

Paramedics in Ontario are not legally essential like PD and FD. In order to prevent binding arbitration the government a few years ago ruled that the Ambulances and their equipment were essential, but the personnel staffing them are not. We also have an essential services agreement that dictates how many staff are required to run the minimal services during lob action (usually around 75%).
 
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