N.Y. EMS personnel receive retroactive pay increase

By Benjamin Joe
Lockport Union-Sun & Journal

LOCKPORT, N.Y. — A pay raise for emergency medical service workers at the Lockport Fire Department has been approved. The new rates include retroactive back-pay to Feb. 14, 2023, when LFD took on the duties of providing emergency transport.

Described as a “handshake” agreement earlier in the year between the Lockport Professional Firefighters Association, Local 963, and the City of Lockport, the rates were ratified by union members in October. At the city’s regular meeting Wednesday four aldermen voted “yes,” and Mark Devine, 3rd Ward alderman, abstained. Kathryn Fogle, 4th Ward alderman, was absent.

Fire Chief Luca Quagliano described the deal between the union and the city as the union agreeing to allow its members to work on the city ambulances, but only at new rates, and also described the increases as raises for the EMT stipend held by firefighters with medical training.

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The new rates are as follows: Emergency Medical Technicians receive a 5% increase from base pay instead of 4%, Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians receive a 6% increase from base pay instead of 5%, Critical Care workers receive a 7% increase from base pay instead of 6% and paramedics receive a 8% increase of base pay instead of 7%.

The rates will also be increased by 1% for all certifications effective Jan. 1, 2024, again on Jan. 1, 2025, and again on Jan. 1, 2026.

The new agreement came midway between contracts. The last contract the city had with the union began in 2018 and is not set to be renegotiated until 2028.

Finance Director Daniel Cavallari said that the entire amount for the new increases will be close to $450,000, going into the 2026 budget. He said the impact for the 2025 budget to be approximately $200,000. Funds for the resolution are coming out of contingency, he said.

Retroactive payments will be paid in three equal installments on Jan. 1, 2025, July 1, 2025, and Jan. 1, 2026.

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