Public Employee Press

EMS locals say talks are stalemated

After working without a contract for over three years and with current talks deadlocked, two locals of ambulance professionals at the Emergency Medical Service have asked the New York City Board of Collective Bargaining to declare an impasse in their negotiations with New York City.

“Our Executive Committee and Bargaining Committee were pressing hard for a fair and equitable settlement,” said Pat Bahnken, president of Uniformed Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics Local 2507. “But only one offer has been presented during the past eight months, and that was totally unacceptable.” Bahnken feels that the two sides are far apart and the negotiations have not made progress.

“The route to impasse was a direct result of the city’s unwillingness to bargain in good faith,” said Tom Eppinger, president of Uniformed EMS Officers Local 3621.

On behalf of both locals, Assistant General Counsel Leonard D. Polletta of the DC 37 Legal Dept. filed a petition Jan. 6 requesting the Board of Collective Bargaining to declare the talks stalemated. If the board finds there is an impasse, it can invoke mediation, fact-finding or binding arbitration to resolve the dispute. The city has challenged the union petition.

On Jan. 5, more than 750 members of the two locals demonstrated for a new contract in front of City Hall. Associate Director Oliver Gray told the protesters they could count on DC 37’s support. “What’s fair is fair. It’s time for a contract,” he said at the rally where the presidents of several DC 37 locals called for progress in the negotiations.

Eppinger said that although the EMS workers risk their lives responding to 1.2 million emergency calls a year, they are “forgotten souls” in the Fire Dept.