Portland Press Herald (Maine)
Copyright 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.
The Portland firefighters’ union has rejected a contract proposal that would increase pay for firefighters who also work as paramedics and emergency medical technicians, City Manager Joseph Gray Jr. said Monday.
As a result, the City Council postponed action Monday evening on an order that would increase wages of dual-trained staff by 8 percent for paramedics and 4 percent for EMTs starting in August. Stipends in all specialty areas would increase 3 percent in January, according to city documents.
Under the proposal, the Fire Department would have been able to use dual-trained personnel to avoid overtime costs in certain situations. The pay increases would have cost $142,000 this budget year but would have decreased overtime costs by at least that much, Gray said in his report to the council.
A union official could not be reached for comment.