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Paramedics Attend OMERS Annual Meeting

In a show of support for pension fairness, Paramedics from across the province travelled to Toronto to attend the OMERS Annual Regional meeting. People came from as far as Sault Ste Marie and Ottawa to bring their message of pension fairness directly to OMERS.

Paramedics have been asking the OMERS governing Board (Sponsor’s Corporation) to amend the plan to allow paramedics to negotiate the same early retirement pensions as police and firefighters. The federal government made the changes to the Income Tax Act to allow early retirement pensions for paramedics in 2005, but OMERS has still not made the necessary changes to its plan.

Over 100 paramedics held a rally outside of the Sheraton Centre Hotel in Toronto before the start of meeting. Many of the paramedics than moved inside to attend the OMERS meeting. Inside the Chair of CUPE’s Ambulance Committee Mike Dick told the group that “,,,the work performed by Paramedics is very similar to that performed by Police and Fire Fighters – all three groups are public safety occupations.” “Why is the Sponsors Corporation discriminating against Paramedics by not giving them the same right to negotiate a Normal Retirement Age 60 as Police and Fire Fighters?” he asked.

It is expected that the issue will come to a vote at the next meeting of the OMERS Sponsor’s Corporation on June 5th.

Read more about pension equity here.

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