Toronto bucks paramedics' union

TORONTO, July 24 (UPI) -- The city of Toronto sought provincial backing Friday to restore full paramedic staffing amid a strike by the Canadian Union of Public Employees.

The CUPE strike that began last month lowered Emergency Medical Services staffing in Canada's largest city to 75 percent, which Mayor David Miller said wasn't adequate.

In a release, the city said it petitioned the Ontario Labor Relations Board requesting it enhance the essential services agreements covering paramedics and dispatchers.

If granted, it would mean an increase of 75 paramedics to 300 on a 24-hour period, 22 more ambulances during weekdays and 27 more on the weekend, CP24 TV reported.

"It is of the utmost importance that the city's responses to the most critical calls for emergency medical service continue to be properly served," Miller said of his decision to seek provincial help.

At a news conference, EMS chief Bruce Farr said after analyzing 26,000 emergency calls made since the start of the strike five weeks ago, there has been an increase of 53 seconds in response times.

The CUPE strike also has 24,000 outside city staff, including garbage workers, on strike along with 6,000 inside workers.