ambulances & labor firegeezer on 29 Apr 2008 10:08 am
AMR Medics in L.A. County Begin Strike Action
AMERICAN MEDICAL RESPONSE (AMR) MEDICS HAVE BEGUN a strike action in a northern Los Angeles County are where they operate.
The Santa Clarita Valley area around Lancaster and Irwindale is covered by the walkout. AMR is continuing service by calling on other ambulance firms for assistance and bringing in some outside help.
The 90+ paramedics and EMT’s formally began picketing Monday morning after reaching an impasse in their bargaining with the firm. Originally they had set a strike date for May 2 but moved it up to Monday because of “negativity on the part of management.”
It seemed that they were on their way to an agreement, especially with regards to their wage issues. But the company’s latest offer did not include any protection for medical insurance premium costs that the union wanted.
According to Sarah Angel, an EMT who was on the picket line in Irwindale on Monday morning, the primary concern among strikers is medical benefits.
Specifically, Angel said the language in the last offer provided by AMR concerning medical coverage was vague and ambiguous, leaving employees unprotected from increased costs without additional benefits.
“It doesn’t matter how much of a wage increase they give us, it just gets offset by lack of protection in medical payments,” she said. “We just want to be protected from increases in medical payments.”
The Santa Clarita Signal has a good report and explanation of what is going on HERE.
Update, May 1:
The strike was settled on May 1. Firegeezer report is HERE.
