Local 2507: FDNY Won’t Get Lead Out On Protective Boots

PATRICK J. BAHNKEN: Delivers a swift kick over boots. An Emergency Medical Service union leader is claiming that Fire Department officials are stalling the implementation of an arbitrator’s decision regarding work boots for medical responders.

In September, an arbitrator ruled that the FDNY had to rescind orders to EMS personnel requiring them to wear special protective boots that union officials had claimed were causing injury to responders. But Patrick J. Bahnken, who as president of Local 2507 of District Council 37 represents Paramedics and Emergency Medical Technicians, said last week that the FDNY had not confirmed a date to meet with the union on the terms of the decision, and would meet with the Office of Labor Relations about the issue next month.

‘Immoral to Drag This Out’

“It took them 30 days just to have a meeting within the department,” Mr. Bahnken said. “It is immoral for them to continue to try to push this out further and further still. We should have met the week after the decision was issued.”

He claimed that the union offered 10 different dates to meet on the issue, but never got an affirmative from management. But FDNY spokesman Steve Ritea countered, “The FDNY wants to have this meeting as soon as possible, and it was the union leaders’ calendars that were apparently booked until the end of this month. The FDNY has asked the unions to reconsider and meet us at the table as soon as possible.”

Mr. Bahnken claimed that several of his members are still required to wear the boots because the union has not been able to meet with the department, a charge the FDNY denied.

Mr. Ritea also denied the union’s claim that EMS members had been injured as a result of wearing the Pro- Warrington protective boots or disciplined for complaining about them.

“Over a period of two years we were encouraging people to have people come to us if they had problems,” he said, noting that the department provided alternative footwear. “We were encouraging that dialogue with our members, not discouraging it.”

Mr. Bahnken sharply disagreed and said that the union was considering filing litigation against the city and the FDNY for creating a “hostile work environment.”