Fla. EMS Protests Low Wages, Other Workplace Conditions

Nov. 19--BRADENTON -- Manatee County paramedic Tabitha Parker says she is paid the same wage as when she was hired seven years ago. But today, Parker also has to provide for her two children, a 1-month-old son and 2-year-old daughter.

"I love serving the community and helping people," she said Thursday at a protest in front of the Manatee County Administration Building. "Despite not having enough money for my family, I like making a difference in other people's lives. ... We are not going to give up helping people."

Every month, Parker said she has to balance which bills to pay.

"It is a constant juggling game on which bills get paid," she said.

Parker was one of more than 30 Manatee County Emergency Medical Services paramedics and their families who lined both sides of Manatee Avenue West to protest low wages and other workplace issues the first responders say they have faced the past several years.

International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Local 747, the Manatee County union, organized the protest to let the public know about low wages, forced overtime and other issues. The union has been negotiating with the county since 2013, and the failed attempt to reach an agreement led to the protest, said William Shick, president of IAEP Local 747 and Manatee County charge paramedic. After standing in front of the county administration building, the protesters moved over by Manatee Memorial Hospital where they continued protesting.

"We've been very much trying to work upstairs in the board room with the county's side of the board," Shick said. "We had made a lot of progress and our feeling always was as long as we were making progress and they were willing to come to the table that we would keep it on the table, keep it peaceful, keep it civilized. The thought process at the time was that we don't want to alarm the county. We don't want to do anything that negatively affects Manatee County EMS. ... We decided now it has to be a public issue."

County-union negotiations

Since July 6, 2013, the county has been negotiating with the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics, which is "the exclusive bargaining representative for EMS Emergency Medical Technicians, Paramedics, Charge Paramedics and Paramedics/Firefighters employed by the county," according to the county negotiations update.

The two parties have formally met 23 times and reached a tentative agreement on more than 25 articles of a labor agreement, including retirement and health insurance, according to the update.

There has not been an agreement reached on the salary issue. Negotiations focused on salary/wage proposals at the 21st meeting on June 29.

"The county insists that the IAEP's request must be considered alongside the overall economic health of our county government," the update reads. "The parties mutually agreed early in the negotiations process to wait until after progress on the non-economic issues had taken place before negotiating economic issues such as salaries/wages and health insurance."

Manatee County presented the union Sept. 29 with a proposed compensation scale to raise the annual pay range for paramedics from "$35,443 (minimum), $46,076 (midpoint) and $56,709 (maximum) to $40,648.48 (minimum), $51,417.60 (midpoint) and $62,366.71 (maximum)," according to the update.

"Current paramedics who are below the county's proposed new minimum salary/wage would have their salary/wage brought up to the proposed new minimum salary/wage," the update reads. "This proposal positioned the county's paramedics salary range as the fifth most competitive on the Gulf Coast."

The union rejected the proposal.

"The county has put forth a pay package, which benefits new members, but those who are already here up to 10 or 12 years will actually be making the same paycheck as the guy who starts tomorrow. And of course we are expected to train them and provide them the guidance," Shick said. "The county has no value on our experience and tools that we bring to the job. Other working conditions that we are fighting against is based upon not having enough manpower. ... We are losing all this money constantly trying to replace employees that we should just be spending on trying to keep the employees who are here who want to be here."

When the union has gone back with other proposals, Shick said the county has "essentially said this is what we offered you and that's going to be it."

"We just came to the opinion that they don't want to negotiate with us," he said. "They don't want to change their offer."

Along with the rest of the county employees, EMTs and paramedics received market equity adjustments in 2013 and 2014, which equates to 2.25 percent, but the union refused the same pay-for-performance increases other eligible county employees receive, according to the county update.

"When we started the negotiations with the union, they said they didn't want pay-for-performance," said Karen Windon, deputy county administrator. "They preferred to negotiate for that. They didn't receive that pay-for-performance component."

Shick said "the last three years the county has issued pay raises to all other departments."

"However, they have always stated that because we are under contract or under negotiations for contract that we need to finish that contract out," he added.

Protest to inform public

Motorists headed west on Manatee Avenue during the protest honked and cheered in support of the EMS paramedics and families.

John Millard, a paramedic with the county for 23 years, came to support the group and call attention to the fact paramedics with 10 years of service make the starting salary.

"They will move starting pay up but they don't move anyone else," he said. "Your years don't mean anything here. ... It's got to get out to the voters."

Tom Batchelor, a Longboat Key firefighter and paramedic running for District 5 commissioner in 2016, said he came to the protest as an advocate for all county employees.

"They are underpaid," he said of EMS paramedics. "They are overworked. This is affecting, and will continue to affect, level of service."

Jill Dominguez, a Manatee County paramedic the past two years, has to rely on help from her mother, Jane Kinghorn, to provide for her children so they can participate in sports and get school uniforms and shoes.

"We don't make enough to support family," Dominguez said. "The county has been pretending to negotiate with us for three years and hasn't offered us any substantial increase."

Dominguez said they need the voters' support as the people they take care of every day may not know the situation.

"This is our chance to let people know," she said.

With an EMT/paramedic turnover rate averaging 17 percent annually, which is the lowest it has been in three years, paramedic Kyle Drumm said the turnover rate is one of the worst parts.

"It all comes back to pay at the end," he said. "County commissioners in here are not listening, so we are here in front of the building. Maybe they will start listening. ... You shouldn't have to leave your community for pay."

Kevin Butler, a paramedic in Manatee County for more than five years, said he's exploring other options.

"I wish I didn't have to go elsewhere," he said. "I wish I would have never come. I wish I would have finished nursing school and never come. ... I got hope that maybe this will get some attention."

If no change is made in response to the protest, Shick said more will follow in the future.

"We are going to get louder and bigger," he said.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter@Claire_Aronson.

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