By Bill Carey
EMS1
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. — Paramedics and EMTs with AMR in Spokane County have suspended striking after an agreement was reached on July 18.
The bargaining team of Teamsters Local 690 reached a full recommended offer from AMR and suspended plans to strike. The union has planned to vote on AMR membership on July 25 and July 27, KREM2 reported.
Union members had planned to strike on July 22 if a contract deal was not reached by this week. Global Medical Response, AMR’s parent company, had warned the union not to picket, saying the NLRA prohibits picketing at a healthcare institution without at least 10 days’ notice.
A federal mediator met with both sides and was able to finalize an agreement.
“Legal counsel gave us advice that we were on strong ground, that we were well within our rights to do what we’d done,” Teamsters Local 690 Business Agent Joe Kuhn said.
AMR issued a memo to Spokane employees warning that if they picket, the company may permanently replace them under federal law. AMR also warned wages would not be paid, and employees would not be eligible for unemployment or health insurance benefits.
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