The City of Fort Worth and the firefighters’ union are debating whether MedStar dispatchers should have union representation.
Since the City of Fort Worth dissolved MedStar and switched to a fire-based EMS system in May, the city council pledged to treat every MedStar employee as part of the city family, reported KERA News.
For several months, talks have been held on the terms of the transition and which incoming MedStar employees should be added to the Fort Worth International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) 440’s bargaining unit.
“A leader in the American fire service for nine decades, the Fort Worth Firefighters Association was chartered with the International Association of Fire Fighters on August 10, 1935. Through the years, Local 440 leaders have helped pass many legislative victories for fire fighters around the state and the nation. These wins include achieving better workplace safety and working conditions, along with protections for the public we serve,” the IAFF440 website states.
“To protect and advance the wages, benefits, working conditions and rights of all members – past, present and future,” the IAFF440 website continues.
The union president, Michael Glynn, suggested that dispatchers be classified as sworn personnel and granted civil service protections, reported KERA News.
City attorney, Christopher Troutt disagreed. “If you’re saying all dispatchers are providing EMS care, I’m not sure that’s correct,” he said.
Union Vice President Zac Schaffer said his outfit would like to see incoming dispatchers in sworn positions.
“We’re trying to run a professional streamlined agency, and we would like for all of the MedStar employees to feel like they came over with the same protections as the current (fire) employees,” Schaffer said. “And we’ve done our best to try to get their benefits and wages as close as they can be to the fire department.”
City administration and the IAFF440 will be hosting bargaining session throughout October, per KERA News.