American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees
WASHINGTON — Nearly two-hundred emergency medical services professionals at American Medical Response have voted to form a local union with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees District Council 20.
The National Labor Relations Board conducted the union election on Tuesday and Thursday. The NLRB counted ballots Thursday evening with more than 70 percent voting in favor of unionizing.
Emergency medical technicians and paramedics at AMR transport patients to and from facilities across the metro area and provide backup 911 medical response in coordination with the D.C. Fire Department. The private EMS provider signed a contract with the district in 2017.
Workers formed a union to address ongoing issues that impact patient care, such as scheduling, fatigue, training, equipment, and employee turnover.
EMT Daniel Hoock wants to make sure patients are getting the best patient care possible. He comes from a family line of medical professionals and was inspired to pursue a career in EMS.
“We want to make sure we have adequate rest between shifts so that public safety is not compromised,” Hoock said.
EMT Mosiah Grayton began her career in EMS because she is passionate about helping people. She wants to be able to continue her education.
“I can’t further my education because of scheduling,” Grayton said. “We never know when we’ll get off work. I can’t afford to go down to part time because I’ll lose my benefits.”
The union will submit a request for bargaining to AMR’s management team so they can immediately begin the process of collective bargaining and improving standards at the company.
Approximately 25,000 EMS professionals are members of AFSCME, including AMR employees across the country and the Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors of the FDNY.