We Paramedics of Multnomah, Clackamas, Clark counties are moving to change the language in our union contracts and the way AMR treats their assigned float employees.

Not every Paramedic’s story is the same once hired by AMR, each individual’s trajectory is unique. However, there is one thing a broad group of us face once hired, and that is we become floats. A float by our current CBA agreement is defined in article 5.01: “Float personnel are defined as full time paramedics, EMT’s, controllers and call takers who are not assigned to a regular shift, but are assigned to regular shift rotation. Float personnel will be assigned to a day, swing or night rotation on an existing 12/42 or 24/56 shift schedule variable by county location”. There are other specifics about hours, hours between shifts and other language defining 24hr floats and volunteering for shifts. There is no language defining which county or where AMR can staff you. AMR is also currently training juniors to become new leads and sending them to different counties untrained on differing protocols, system dynamics and geography. All of which could lead towards negative outcomes for Pt’s.

This petition is designed to bring new language to article 5.01 and define: employees assigned as floats to their designated county of employment/hire/training, will only be assigned in that county and not be assigned shifts out of county of hire/training.