"The charity funding model is failing both patients and ambulance officers.
"Our emergency health services require well-trained and experienced ambulance officers, but low pay and difficult conditions mean many people are immediately turned off from the profession."
She said services are underfunded and "teetering on the edge".
"Fixing that starts with keeping people in the job by paying them properly for what is one of the most challenging frontline professions in the country."
McCann said Wellington Free Ambulance members had the right to strike during negotiations and were currently considering their industrial options.
If they chose to strike, it could look like a uniform ban, electronic paperwork ban or even up to a withdrawal of labour.
"Our members though do not necessarily want to strike but it is appearing this is the only way they will be heard by Wellington Free Ambulance."
"To go in to bargaining and have all claims ignored was very disheartening for them especially when they have been working so hard through Covid and going the extra mile to make sure their communities receive help when they need it."
The Herald has contacted Wellington Free Ambulance for comment.
It comes as the firefighters union escalates its strike action over pay and mental health and wellbeing.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) has been given notice today that all New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union members covered by the bargaining will stop work for one hour from 11am to midday on August 19 and for the same time on August 26.
The strike action includes all career fire stations, training centres and 111 fire communications centres.
The negotiations for a collective agreement began in June last year and 13 months later little progress has been made, the NZPFU said.
