Ambulance attendant fired for being a member of Hells Angels

Regina's deputy police chief expressed concerns about biker potentially treating injured officers

A Saskatchewan ambulance attendant was fired from his job after his employer found out he was a member of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang.

Jeff Boos was an emergency medical technician with the Regina Qu’appelle Regional Health Authority. When his employer learned of his membership in the Angels, it approached Deputy Police Chief Clive Weighill of the Regina Police Service. Deputy Chief Weighill gave the employer information about outlaw motorcycle gangs, including the Angels.

Deputy Chief Weighill expressed concern about Boos and his affiliation with the Angels. Among those concerns was that members of the police service might require emergency treatment at the hands of a member of a group whose respect for the law and its enforcers is notoriously low.

The employer approached Boos and he confirmed his involvement with the Angels and refused to cease that association. The health authority decided to terminate his employment on Sept. 23, 2004. The Health Sciences Association of Saskatchewan, the union representing Boos, filed a grievance alleging he had been unjustly terminated. On Nov. 5, 2004, the health authority denied the grievance. The union initially considered taking the grievance to arbitration, but decided not to pursue it.

Boos filed a lawsuit against Deputy Chief Weighill, the union and the health authority. But the Saskatchewan Court of Queen’s Bench dismissed the lawsuit. It said the collective bargaining agreement provides a grievance procedure and the province’s Trade Union Act provides for arbitration following the determination of a grievance. These were the only procedures available to Boos as a remedy for losing his job, the court said. “It was argued that as the union was not willing to advance his grievance, the claim against the defendants was the only remedy left to (Boos),” said Justice Kyle. “That claim was, however, only background to his real complaint which was his loss of employment and his damages, if any were found, would be the same as those which he would seek as a grievor under the collective bargaining agreement.”

For more information see:

Boos v. Weighill, 2006 CarswellSask 232 (Sask. Q.B.)

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