Negotiations are underway for a new contract for the region’s paramedics and support staff. On Friday, members of Canadian Union of Public Employees 5191 voted to authorize the union to take strike action if an agreement cannot be reached.

Paramedics in Waterloo Region may strike over concerns regarding rest break and shift overruns.

“Our paramedics frequently work 15 to 16 hours on a 12-hour shift. They continue to answer calls even when their shift should be over or when they should be having a break,” said Chris Sutton, representative for the CUPE 5191, in a release.

“Something has to change. Our paramedics are people and not machines. They need to eat, too.”

The union is putting out a call to Waterloo council to address ‘chronic understaffing’ of its paramedic service.

“The region remains committed to a freely negotiated agreement and the parties are continuing to meet,” an official said in a statement to CTV on Sunday.

“Paramedics are frontline medical professionals who require mental and physical alertness to address life and death situations. This includes patient assessment, treatment and the safe navigation of ambulances on the Region’s crowded roads, in all weather conditions, to get to the hospital,” said Sutton.

CUPE 5191 represents more than 220 paramedics in the region.