By Joe Rojas Burke
The Oregonian
Copyright 2007 The Oregonian
All Rights Reserved 

PORTLAND, Ore. — The union representing more than 500 Portland-area ambulance workers reached a tentative agreement with American Medical Response, ending the potential for a strike that would have affected Multnomah and Clackamas counties in Oregon, and Clark and Cowlitz counties in Washington.

Through contracts with the counties, American Medical Response is the exclusive provider of ambulance services, collecting payments from patients and their insurers. AMR is a unit of Emergency Medical Services Corp., a publicly traded, Colorado-based company that netted $39.1 million on revenues of $1.93 billion last year.

Paramedics and emergency medical technicians represented by the National Emergency Medical Services Association voted overwhelmingly in June to authorize a strike, which could have been carried out as early as July 16.

Union members said they wanted raises to bring their compensation in line with AMR employees in other West Coast cities. Annual pay for EMTs ranges from about $24,800 to $28,500 in Portland, compared with $29,500 to $53,300 in Seattle, and $40,600 to $54,300 in Sacramento, according to the union.

After two days of intense bargaining, the two sides reached a tentative agreement 90 minutes before a midnight deadline Thursday. The union and the company have not yet disclosed the details.

AMR general manager Randy Lauer described the agreement as "fair to everyone." Union President Torren Colcord said members of the bargaining unit are likely to ratify the agreement. The voting has yet to be scheduled.