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To the editor:
In recent testimony before the New York City Council, Michael Greco, the vice president of Local 2507, which represents FDNY EMS personnel, said without saying, that city officials aren't obeying the law. He answered that in ongoing contract negotiations, the Office of Labor Relations still refuses to recognize the FDNY Emergency Medical Services as a "uniformed service.”
In 2001, the City Council codified FDNY emergency medical services uniform status for bargaining purposes with Local Law 19: "The Council intends by this amendment to the administrative code that those individuals employed by the FDNY as EMT's, paramedics and supervisors of EMT's or paramedics be accorded the same unique bargaining rights as the uniformed forces of the City."
Against challenges by two mayors, the NYS Court of Appeals upheld the law in 2007. The law has not been followed, and the Council is aware of that.
The Council now "proposes" allocating $50 million in baseline funding "to begin addressing" the enormous pay gap between FDNY Emergency Medical Services personnel and firefighters. "Proposing" and "doing" are different things.
The new city budget will be agreed upon this month. What are our 51 NYC Council members doing to require that city officials recognize the FDNY EMS’ "uniform status" in contract talks, and to solve the tens of thousands of dollars in pay disparity created by not enforcing Local Law 19 for 24 years?
Helen Northmore
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