EMS Unions Seek Arbitration of Pay Dispute With City

EMS Unions Seek Arbitration of Pay Dispute With City


The two unions representing Emergency Medical Service responders have filed for arbitration after coming to an impasse in contract negotiations with the city.

TOM EPPINGER: 'City won't even negotiate with us.'

The state's highest court last June upheld laws enacted by the City Council over Mayor Bloomberg's vetoes giving EMS workers uniformed status and their unions the right to bargain independently from District Council 37. The unions hope to use their leverage under those laws to gain salaries and pension rights matching those of other uniformed workers.

Calls City's Offer Vague

Tom Eppinger who as president of Local 3621 of DC 37 represents EMS officers, said he had been pushing for parity with other uniformed supervisors, but added that the city had offered only vague "illustrations" of its demands during negotiation sessions.

DC 37 Local 2507 President Patrick J. Bahnken, who represents Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians, has said there is high attrition among his members because workers opt for higher-paying jobs in other agencies or use EMS as a stepping-stone for a more lucrative firefighting position.

Mr. Bahnken has also demanded that the city consider using alternative scheduling for EMS workers, similar to firefighters and police officers.

"We don't really relish the idea of going through the arbitration process," said Bob Ungar, a spokesman for Local 2507. "From our point of view, there's no animus on our part towards the administration; we understand that they're going to say no to things."

He continued, "We feel at this point [the Office of Labor Relations] has refused so many of the requests from our side of the table that it did not seem there would be any value in continuing those discussions."

Labor Relations Commissioner James F. Hanley confirmed the dispute but declined to comment further.

Contract Nearly 2 Years Due

The contract covering the two bargaining units expired on June 30, 2006, and they have been operating under the terms of that agreement since.

Mr. Eppinger said that the Office of Collective Bargaining will decide some time over the next month whether the city and the unions are truly at an impasse and if an arbitration process should begin. He estimated that it could be another year before an award is handed down.

"Our members are dealing with a significant change in the cost of living while everyone else has got a deal except us," he said. "I just can't believe that we go to these meetings and we can't even get out of the starting box. It's hard to tell our members that they can't even negotiate with us."