The union representing Essex-Windsor EMS paramedics has announced the resolution of a grievance over COVID-19 mandates.
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 2974 announced the settlement Monday on its X account, formerly Twitter.
Local 2974 President James Jovanovic said the settlement was made this past fall. It affects over a dozen paramedics, who filed grievances after being disciplined for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
"We only posted about it now because I continue to be contacted by individuals from across the province, inquiring about the status of our arbitration," said Jovanovic in an email to WindsorNewsToday.ca. "We were very public about our endeavour against the mandates, and I believe were as well-positioned to fight them as any, if not more so. I wanted to provide the update and closure for those that were following along and supporting us from afar."
Terms are confidential and tailored to each individual member.
The union had encouraged its members to get the shot, but it had been a vocal critic of government mandates that required vaccination. Tweets from January 2022, which remain on the X account, dismissed mandates as "tyranny".
Jovanovic said members are happy with how things turned out.
"It’s bittersweet because a part of me wanted to see this fight through to its conclusion, but our responsibility is first and foremost to our members of the local, and we were ultimately able to achieve a settlement that they were very happy with," wrote Jovanovic.