Paramedics Opt Again for Union Shop : Ambulance Company Says It Won’t Appeal Election Outcome

For the second time in six months--and this time by a greater margin--paramedics and emergency medical technicians at Hartson’s Medical Service have voted to organize under the Service Employees International Union, Local 102.

The vote, taken Thursday and Friday, was 152 in favor of joining the labor union, and 93 opposed. The company has about 350 employees.

Company employees voted 138 to 111 to organize last August, but that election was rejected by a hearing officer for the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) amid charges that the organizing union tracked who had and had not voted during the previous balloting and coerced some to vote.

Tom Morgan, one of Hartson’s general partners, said he did not plan to appeal the more recent election, which, if not challenged within five days, will be certified by the NLRB.

“We had hoped it wouldn’t be (in favor of unionizing), but now that it is, we will fulfill our obligations to negotiate in good faith,” Morgan said. “We don’t expect the negotiations to be traumatic. We feel we have had, and still have, a good relationship with our employees.”

The company was formed in San Diego in 1947 and had successfully withstood other union organizing attempts. “This is a new chapter for the company, part of the development of the company,” Morgan said.

Mary Grillo, director of organizing for Local 102, said there was no single, outstanding issue that prompted employees to vote to unionize. However, she said there was an overall hope of improving salaries and working conditions--including increasing the number of ambulances and paramedics on duty to ease some the workload.

Hartson’s provides paramedic or ambulance service to nine cities in the county, including a $6.8-million paramedic contract with San Diego that expires in June, 1991.

Grillo said the organizing process at Hartson’s had lasted a year--far longer than originally expected. “Now that this vote is finally out of the way, we can sit down and get to work on a contract,” she said. “It’s a good company. The employees are very proud of working at Hartson’s, but one of the things we need to work on are improved working conditions so people will be inspired to stay with the company longer.”

Over the last two years, Local 102 has emerged as one of the most aggressive unions in the county. Its membership includes janitors, health-care workers and school employees.