Paramedics drop threat of strike, for now

Published Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 | 3:49 p.m.

Updated Friday, Nov. 21, 2008 | 4:34 p.m.

Nov. 18 -- Ambulance company wants injunction to avoid strike
Nov. 12 -- Officials try to curb ambulance drivers strike

It looks like, for now, paramedics will be showing up for work the day after Thanksgiving.

The Service Employees International Union has told American Medical Response, which handles the majority of Las Vegas Valley’s ambulatory needs, that it's called off a scheduled strike – so long as AMR agrees within the next seven days to set dates in December to bargain.

“We’re doing everything we can to get AMR to bargain with us. Like we’ve said from the beginning, no one has ever wanted to go on strike,” Steve Ekmark, an emergency medical technician, said in a statement, adding the union hopes that by rescinding the strike AMR will agree to negotiate.

The strike was threatened before the two sides even sat down at the bargaining table. The union’s contract with the company expired weeks ago, but there is a dispute over who can negotiate a new deal for the workers. SEIU wants to bring its sister union, International Association of EMTs and Paramedics, to the table, but AMR claims that is illegal.

Both have filed charges with the National Labor Review Board.

John Wilson, AMR Las Vegas general manager, said in a statement that “it is unfortunate that our employees and the public were subjected to the threat of a strike by the SEIU, but we are hopeful that we can now move forward and negotiate a contract that is acceptable for all parties involved.”

While AMR released a statement saying SEIU had withdrawn IAEP from the bargaining process, the unions dispute this.

It is unclear at this time what that means for the bargaining process and the community.

Discussion: 1 comment so far…

By ems

11/22/08 at 10:25 a.m.

Suggest removal

Hello I work for AMR in New England and when we voted the IAEP out they got so mad that we where getting warnings for everything. When the new union came in there where 144 unfair labor practices sent to the NLB and they where found to be wrong on all counts AMR was mad when the NLB found out AMR was wrong on all counts. We know have a new union IAEP is gone. We have union stewards and Chief stewards in place and there has been a big notice in change. We to where going to strike AMR thought we wouldn't well we held pickets stopped traffic and made it a where to AMR we where no longer taking there crap.We have a signed contract the union was new and we have a new contract it's been a battle AMR still breaks the contract and yes we still hit them where it hurts in the pocket. We went with NEMSA folks maybe it's time for a change it's a gamble ,but sometimes change is good. To all of the LV EMTS and MEDICS keep you'r heads high remember PATIENT FOCUSED, CUSTOMER CENTERED and CAREGIVERS INSPIRED.