Las Vegas NowUnion Member Deliver Strike Notice to AMR

Union Member Deliver Strike Notice to AMR

A union of paramedics and EMT's officially notified AMR of their intention to strike. Their employment contract with American Medical Response ended October 31, 2008.

Union members say the company refuses to negotiate. The company says they don't know who to negotiate with. The union and the company seem to be dug into their positions.

This is not an impasse over specific issues, the two sides are not even sitting down at the same table.

Read the statement of strike notice

One by one more than a dozen union members marched into the AMR Las Vegas headquarters and handed management their official notice of strike and picketing.

AMR Paramedic and Chief Service Employees International Union Steward Alex Ocampo made the delivery, "We have exhausted our options to try and get American Medical Response to come to the table. At this point we do not have another option but to deliver our intent to strike."

Ocampo says AMR refuses to come to the table to start negotiations. The company says it's the union pulling a fast one by bringing in an outside negotiator.

The chest pounding has AMR EMT Jenna Callahan caught in the wake, "I have not slept in two days."

Callahan has two children. Her son will attend UNR next year. Her husband's work cut his hours and the family relies more than ever on her paycheck to pay the mortgage.

A strike means she walks off the job and loses pay, "I am hoping that AMR steps up and is the company that I know it can be."

Callahan says she would like to see a good living wage and benefits in another contract.

The two sides have not met face to face.

"We are looking at the standard contract. This is not a job where you get rich. No one is looking to do that at all," she said.

Both the city and county fire paramedics will be on stand by to pick up any slack. The fire chiefs say there will be no lag in response times to emergencies.

The union has a hearing for unfair labor practices by AMR in front of the National Labor Review Board December 2, 2008 for not sitting down to negotiate.

AMR's latest statement says drop the charges and they will do the same.

The posturing continues.