Early Retirement for Paramedics

There seems to be renewed interest from paramedics across the province regarding early retirement benefits, and those discussions have generated some misconceptions about our "right" to this benefit.

In the spring of 2005, following extensive lobbying by the Paramedic Association of Canada and chapter members, the Federal Government revised the Income Tax Act. This Act outlines provisions related to maximum pension plan contributions and retirement benefits, and now includes paramedics in the definition of "Public Safety Occupations (PSO)". This designation recognizes the physical and mental limitations associated with increased age, and concedes that employees in these designated occupations continuing to work past a certain age might put public safety at risk. Including paramedics in the definition of Public Safety Occupation now allows us to negotiate increased pension plan contributions and unreduced early retirement benefits. Now it's up to us and the unions representing paramedics in this province to use this "right" to negotiate improved pension benefits and make early retirement a priority in contract negotiations.

The Ontario Government recently passed an amendment to provincial legislation related to municipal employees in that province (known as Bill C206 - Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System Act). This legislation has been fraught with controversy as a result of wording that mandated the pension plan to "consider providing optional increases in pension benefits for members who are employed in the police and fire sectors". Paramedics in the province were mad because the Government did not include them in this statement, feeling they should have been included because of their designation within the PSO...other groups were upset that anyone was included in this capacity, arguing their occupations were as worthy as police and fire. While this legislation certainly doesn't preclude paramedics in that province from working to negotiate for early retirement, it probably makes it more difficult to obtain because the legislation doesn't require the municipal plan to consider it.