Hartson Paramedics Set to Strike in February; City Mediation Likely

San Diego paramedics will strike next month unless they reach agreement on a contract with Hartson Medical Services, union officials said Monday, amid increasing signs that a settlement in the lengthy labor dispute will be impossible without help from City Hall.

“I’m sure that, sooner or later, the city will be directly involved in the talks because of the impending threat to public safety,” Councilman Wes Pratt said.

Although both sides are still negotiating and have three bargaining sessions scheduled through next week, Eliseo Medina, president of the Service Employees International Union, Local 102, set a Feb. 14 strike date for about 160 paramedics employed by the city. The union voted 129 to 22 last week to authorize a walkout, as a state mediator attempted to help both sides reach agreement on a contract.

“It’s discouraging to have a strike deadline set in the midst of mediation. We thought we were making good progress,” Hartson spokeswoman Sharon Henry said.

Medina said union negotiators are frustrated by lack of progress on two major issues--wages and the rehiring of two Hartson’s employees who the union contends were illegally fired for union activities. The company said both men were fired for willfully failing to respond to a call within the 10 minutes required by the city.

At a press conference held outside City Hall, Medina said that Hartson negotiators are not offering an adequate wage package for paramedics or emergency medical technicians (EMTs) represented by the union. Paramedics earn $6.50 to $9.55 an hour, while EMTs start at $5 an hour.

Medina declined to provide specifics about the union’s wage demands but said its bargaining team is asking $8 an hour starting wage for paramedics. According to union figures, San Diego paramedics are the lowest paid in the county, earning an average 24% less than those in other jurisdictions.

Both sides have said that Hartson will probably have to go back to the City Council and ask for a subsidy in order to raise employee salaries. But Medina said the union wants the company to first make its books available to the union’s accountants to see if Hartson can afford to give the wage increases without asking for more money from the city.

Pratt, chairman of the City Council’s Public Services and Safety Committee, said the council has not been kept up-to-date on the labor dispute, but he did not rule out the possibility of the city giving Hartson extra funds so the company can settle with the union.

“If that’s something that we should consider, then we should listen to what they say. But, at this point, I’m not willing to say we should go along with it because we don’t have all the facts,” Pratt said.

Hartson has a $6.8-million paramedic contract with San Diego that expires in June, 1991. In addition, the company is also allowed to charge patients up to $281 a call. The average per-call rate in the rest of the county is $400, said Glen Roberts, Hartson’s chief executive officer. In an interview last week, Roberts estimated the total value of the contract over four years at $27 million.

Under the city’s contract, Hartson hires the paramedics and dispatchers. The city owns the ambulances and emergency equipment, but the company maintains the vehicles. Unlike other cities, San Diego does not allow emergency medical technicians to work with paramedics. The city’s contract requires both emergency personnel in an ambulance to be certified paramedics.

Medina said he is willing to ask the City Council to approve a subsidy for Hartson if necessary to avert a strike. He added that Hartson negotiators have sounded the union out about approaching the council together.

“They broached that possibility. From our perspective, we will do whatever necessary to get paramedics the wage increases they need. We would support any plan to get the money,” said Medina.

Hartson spokeswoman Henry echoed Medina’s comments but said the company was caught off-guard by the union’s strike deadline.

“We had put together a packet that they supported in terms of going to the city and asking for help. We agreed to turn to the city and ask for help in resolving this together. I thought that was pretty well on its way. I don’t know what happened to cause this to deteriorate,” Henry said.

In the event of a walkout, the union has offered to let the paramedics work for the city without pay. Although Deputy City Manager Maureen Stapleton has rejected the union’s offer, Councilman John Hartley said Monday that the city should consider it along with other alternatives. Stapleton advocates replacing striking paramedics with off-duty firefighters, who say they are unqualified to work as paramedics.

“The really important thing is that the high level of service we have now should be continued, no matter what happens. I think that the union’s plan should be considered as well as any other plan,” Hartley said.

Pratt also said he is worried about the quality of emergency care provided to the public in the event of a strike.

“My major concern is the safety of the citizens and providing adequate emergency services. I want something worked out. I don’t want to see a situation where an innocent person dies because of a labor impasse,” Pratt said.

On Friday, the union also delivered a letter to Mayor Maureen O’Connor, who is now in the Soviet Union, asking her to allow Local 102 officials to address the City Council on Feb. 6, so the group can explain its position.