Last month, 97% of the paramedics and EMTs employed by Emergency Ambulance Service, Inc. voted to form their union with United EMS Workers – AFSCME Local 4911 (UEMSW).  

The Southern California private ambulance service provides 911 emergency medical services and inter-facility ambulance transport, as well as EMS education and training. 

The workers have put their lives on the line to serve their communities but have long been frustrated by low pay, poor benefits, inadequate staffing, and a lack of respect for the critical services they provide.  

“Morale was low, turnover was through the roof, and it was impacting patient care,” said Cayetano Ramirez, a paramedic field training officer and organizing committee member. “This is a demanding job, and nobody could really access even the limited PTO we have to get any sustainable work-life balance.” 

Ramirez, who grew up in a union family and had worked at other unionized worksites before, had conversations with co-workers about forming a union. He knew that the union difference would mean improving the care he delivered and making the career he and co-workers love more sustainable.  

In May, he and his fellow co-workers took the brave step of contacting UEMSW.  

For Sam Knox, a paramedic, organizing through UEMSW was the obvious choice.  

“Many of us, me included, come from a union background, and know what having a union can mean,” said Knox, who also served on the organizing committee. “So, we wanted to go with a group that understands our work and has a record of winning real improvement. And, as soon as we got in touch with UEMSW, they were with us every step of the way, making sure we were ready for whatever was going to come.” 

The issues the employees faced were clear: pay well below the regional standard, time off that was hard to earn and almost impossible to use, and low staffing.  

“This line of work is so important but can also be so dangerous for both crew and patients,” said Knox. “When you prioritize volume over the human needs of your employees, that risk just skyrockets. But a union would give us a voice and a chance to change the culture to one that focused on safety and lowering burnout.” 

Even though they were spread out across the county, the workers continued to build support. When they finally made their organizing efforts public with a majority of authorization cards, Emergency Ambulance Service was caught by surprise.  

“They didn’t say or do anything for a while, so by the time they started to try and say why voting for a union was the wrong thing to do, it was already too late. We were just waiting to vote and make it official,” said Ramirez.  

“Nothing they could say was better than what we are going to be doing – bargain for a work-life balance, get a fatigue policy in place or even improve staffing levels.” 

For their patients, for their communities, for themselves – these paramedics know that the AFSCME difference will make all the difference.