The Nova Scotia 911 strike has entered its third week as emergency dispatchers continue demanding higher wages and improved staffing levels. Workers say the current conditions are causing burnout, high turnover and increasing pressure on emergency services across the province.
_x000D_ _x000D_Nova Scotia 911 Strike Continues
_x000D_Emergency dispatchers represented by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) Local 015 walked off the job on July 17 after contract negotiations with Emergency Medical Care Inc. (EMC) failed to produce an agreement.
_x000D_The union says negotiations have continued for more than a year without meaningful progress on key issues, including wages, staffing and employee retention.
_x000D_ _x000D_Workers Call for Better Pay
_x000D_Dispatchers say they handle life-and-death emergencies every day but earn salaries that fail to reflect the responsibility of their work.
_x000D_Jordan McVeigh, a communications training officer with EMC, said roughly 60 dispatchers answer medical 911 calls for more than one million Nova Scotians.
_x000D_He believes better wages would help retain experienced workers and improve emergency response across the province.
_x000D_Workers argue that many employees leave because they can earn similar pay in less stressful jobs.
_x000D_ _x000D_Staffing Remains a Major Concern
_x000D_The union says staffing levels reached dangerously low numbers throughout 2025.
_x000D_Under Nova Scotia’s essential services agreement, EMC must maintain 20 dispatchers while the strike continues.
_x000D_Union officials say this number is actually higher than the average staffing levels before the strike began.
_x000D_According to CUPW, non-paramedic dispatchers perform the same duties as paramedic dispatchers but earn around $8 less per hour, contributing to ongoing recruitment and retention problems.
_x000D_ _x000D_Company Says It Remains Committed
_x000D_Emergency Medical Care Inc. says it remains committed to reaching a fair agreement through collective bargaining.
_x000D_The company stated that it values its employees and will continue negotiating with the union.
_x000D_Nova Scotia’s Department of Health and Wellness also encouraged both sides to continue discussions and reach a new contract as quickly as possible.
_x000D_ _x000D_Outlook for the Nova Scotia 911 Strike
_x000D_The Nova Scotia 911 strike continues without a clear resolution. Union members say competitive wages and improved staffing are essential to maintaining reliable emergency response services.
_x000D_Both the union and employer remain under pressure to reach an agreement that protects workers while ensuring emergency medical dispatch services continue without disruption.
