According to a letter shared Saturday on the union’s Facebook page, negotiations between Polk County’s EMTs and the county have reached an impasse,
“It is with a reluctant acceptance that this needed to happen, and the misfortune that this is our first official post,” said the Local R5-917 of the IAEP union’s newly launched Facebook page.
“We have been in contract negotiations since July of last year and have yet to come to an agreement that should’ve occurred before October 1, 2023,” the union said. “We will continue to fight for what’s right for our membership and hopefully come to an agreement soon.”
The letter said under Florida law, it was requesting the Public Employees Relations Commission assign a special magistrate to assist in resolving the impasse.
Under Florida statute, a special magistrate holds hearings to define areas of dispute, determines facts related to the disputes and makes a decision on unresolved contract issues, according to the Florida Association of County Attorneys.
The letter was sent to Polk County’s chief negotiator, attorney David Steffen, and was from Michael Marasco, national representative of the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics. Neither could be reached for comment Monday morning via phone or email.
The halt in negotiations comes amid a year’s long national shortage of paramedics. In 2022 the county’s efforts to recruit and retain paramedics.
At the time, Polk County commissioners approved $8,000 sign-on bonuses for new hires and hired a full-time recruiter. The county also offered to pay for schooling of newly hired EMT employees and provide them with a $2,000 monthly stipend for an 11-month period.
Newly hired employees must work with the county for four years or pay back the bonuses or stipends.
Despite the efforts, which pleased the county commissioners and the union, Polk paramedics continue to have to work mandatory overtime to fill gaps in staffing.