[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 91 (Friday, July 14, 2000)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1242]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




         INTRODUCTION OF THE EMS EMPLOYEE EQUALITY ACT OF 2000

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                        HON. MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, July 13, 2000

  Mr. MARTINEZ. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce the EMS Employee 
Equality Act of 2000 that protects the rights of emergency medical 
technicians employed by acute care hospitals. This legislation, 
strongly endorsed by the International Association of EMTs and 
Paramedics, will bring equality to the thousands of EMTs who risk their 
lives to save others.
  The National Labor Relations Act guarantees employees the right and 
freedom to organize and collectively bargain with their employers--a 
right that is currently denied EMTs. Generally, the National Labor 
Relations Board designates groups of employees, usually based on their 
shared interests, as individual bargaining units for the purposes of 
bargaining with their employer.
  In 1974, the Act was amended to cover employees in acute care 
hospitals. At that time, prehospital emergency medical service (EMS) 
was in its infancy. It was very rare to find fleets of ambulances 
staffed by highly trained emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 
paramedics. Today, however, there are hospitals that deploy fleets of 
ambulances staffed with EMS providers.
  Pursuant to the rulemaking published in the Federal Register in 1989, 
the National Relations Board declared that there are only eight 
appropriate bargaining units in a hospital: doctors, nurses, other 
professionals, technical employees, skilled maintenance employees, 
clerical employees, other non-professional employees and guards. 
Paramedics have been relegated to join one of these 8 units.
  The concern is that there is absolutely no community of interest 
between EMS personnel and other employees in a hospital. The very 
nature of ambulance work requires that these employees remain outside 
the hospital environment. In fact, many times the ambulances are 
stationed off the hospital premises, and have no association with the 
hospital other than ownership.
  I am introducing this legislation to amend the National Labor 
Relations Act to include a ninth unit composed of EMS personnel. This 
legislation is needed because emergency medical services were never 
considered during the rule making process and these heroes deserve to 
have their own voice heard at the collective bargaining table.

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