Labor & Union Issues
The labor and union issues topic brings together a range of relevant news, articles and resources for EMS personnel and agencies.
Pay for training, regardless of on-duty or off-duty, depends on the requirement and intent of the training course
An EMS agency, facing an applicant shortage, surveyed EMS providers to see if employee-employer compensation expectations matched
Hire EMS providers with the experience, positive attitude and maturity to help your volunteer service be excellent in its commitment to the community
City officials said they seek to protect employees’ privacy, but a union official said employees also want to know how many department members are affected
The legislation would make first responders who become disabled or die from COVID-19 eligible for compensation under the Public Safety Officer Benefit program
The bill guarantees that people in high-risk jobs who contract COVID-19 will be eligible for workers’ compensation without having to prove the infection was a direct result of their jobs
The pivotal role of EMS in the fight against a global health crisis has put its providers in the national spotlight
The new state rule creates the assumption that first responders diagnosed with or quarantined for the disease were exposed while on duty
Several local governments have implemented hazard pay and stipends for first responders and other front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
Officials are considering increasing pay for first responders and other front-line workers during the COVID-19 pandemic
The department previously instructed EMS providers to only wear N95 masks during aerosol-generating procedures
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a radio interview that the issue should be addressed after the crisis has passed
First responders in the state are urging lawmakers to pass the bill in order to ease the path to workers’ compensation
A bipartisan proposal would prevent affected first responders in the state from needing to using their sick, personal or vacation days while they are unable to work
A Change.org petition launched by a Kentucky EMT has received nearly 25,000 signatures over the last two weeks
The order raised concerns that personnel who work part time at other public safety agencies would no longer be available to assist those communities
Union leaders said the COVID-19 crisis has driven 911 calls up by 40% while staff is decreasing as department members test positive
Union representatives say quarantined firefighters are being denied workers’ compensation because it’s too difficult to prove they were exposed through work
Personnel will instead be asked to wear masks and monitor for symptoms in order to prevent staffing shortages
Santa Clara County has decided to expedite COVID-19 testing for emergency personnel in the hopes of avoiding staffing shortages
Officials said federal privacy laws mean first responders can’t be told if they came in contact with a patient who tested positive for the virus
Paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, deputies and dispatchers will receive a pay raise of up to 5% and bonuses of up to $4,000 as the county seeks to retain personnel
Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Saturday that a Brooklyn firefighter tested positive; shifts for firefighters and EMS have been modified in response to the outbreak
The union says EMS providers were not told their sub-station was being used as a coronavirus testing site
The move angered EMS union leaders who say EMTs and paramedics in the city continue to be deprioritized
FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said negotiations between EMS unions and city officials are underway
Under the proposed act, federal grant funding for mental wellness support would no longer carry a funding match requirement
Council members raised concerns over hiring practices after noting the low proportion of minority first responders in the minority-majority city
The legislation package was introduced by Assemblymember and former EMT Freddie Rodriguez
Under current law, volunteers may only be covered if they are injured during an emergency response and not during other on-duty activities
Tampa Council Chairman Luis Viera championed the addition of the second ambulance after hearing of the station’s overwhelming call volume
A spokeswoman for the state’s Department of Health declined to say why former Office of EMS Director Scot Phelps was terminated on Wednesday
One union leader said 75% of the city’s EMS workforce has less than five years of experience due to high turnover
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