By Terry Witt – Spotlight Senior Reporter

            Levy County Commission negotiators Tuesday offered the union representing paramedics, EMTs, and firefighters a $4 per hour across-the-board raise in pay starting in January.

            The sharp increase in pay is a recognition by the county commission that Emergency Medical Service employees are exiting the county for higher-paying jobs in neighboring counties at an alarming pace.

            One of the county’s seven ambulances isn’t in operation for lack of paramedics and EMTs to staff it.

            County Department of Public Safety Director Mitch Harrell said the commission realized the current situation must be addressed and soon.

            “They knew we needed to increase starting pay as an attractant,” Harrell said at the union negotiating session.

            The International Association of Firefighters Local 4069 will take the county’s proposal back to their members to consider ratification of the contract.

            Commissioners must also ratify the contract.

            Harrell said the county would like to have the contract approved by Jan. 1, 2022, due to the urgency of the situation.

            He added that commissioners are aware of the hardships caused by employees working mandatory overtime due to understaffing. Mandatory overtime results in employees being forced to work extra shifts. It causes fatigue and results in time away from families.

            The county believes a more competitive base pay will result in better recruitment of EMTs and paramedics and improved retention of employees that currently work for EMS.

            “They recognize the hardship that mandatory overtime is having on employees and the effect it’s having on the community with us not having a truck and not able to fill positions, and because of that they gave direction to do what they said, and $4 an hour is a significant, significant pay increase. They would like to do this as quick as possible.” Harrell said.

            County Coordinator Wilbur Dean said he believes the proposed wage increase makes Levy County more competitive with surrounding counties.

            “It puts us in the range of Alachua County,” Dean said.

            Harrell and Dean said the county commission is interested in having a good working relationship with the union.

            “They want to foster a good working relationship with employees and they are looking at this as an opportunity to do that,” Harrell said.

            Dean said the board is concerned about the loss of EMS employees.

            “The board, even though you may not see it, the board has been concerned about it,” Dean said.

            Under the new wage scale, the hourly pay of a single certified EMT would increase from $10.11 per hour to $14 per hour.

            A single certified paramedic’s pay would rise from $12.11 per hour to $16 per hour.

            A dual-certified firefighter/EMT would see their pay increase from $12.20 per hour to $16 per hour.

            A dual-certified firefighter/paramedic would see their pay increase from $14.20 per hour to $18 per hour.

            A dual certified battalion chief would see their pay increase from $16.20 per hour to $20 per hour.

            The county has also proposed changing the contract in ways union negotiators didn’t like.

            Harrell said he feels strongly that sick leave pay should not count as hours worked toward overtime and he also wants ambulance crews to be rotated to the various ambulance stations around the county. The county currently allows ambulance crews to request assignments to a station of their choice. Harrell decides the assignments based on seniority. The process is known as bidding for stations.

            He said the county has lost ambulance employees because they felt they were “stuck” at a certain station through the current bid process. They didn’t have the seniority to move to a more desirable location.

“Right now, we’re losing people because they’re getting stuck at the same place. That’s a problem,” Harrell said.

            Union negotiator Jimmy Willis, Jr. said if ambulance crews lose the right to bid for a station, their seniority status is also lost.

            “If you do away with this, what good is seniority, besides layoffs and recall. That’s what we fought for last time and got it. If you don’t have that, seniority don’t mean anything,” Willis said.

            Union President Ryan Tietjen said the way bidding currently works, employees can bid every six months, but they can’t bid for the station they currently occupy.

            Tietjen said he would prefer to keep the current sick leave arrangement, especially when it comes to injury or sickness on the job.

            Harrell said he feels strongly about not counting sick leave as hours worked toward overtime.

            Harrell also doesn’t like bidding for stations.

            “I think station bids – I’ve never been in favor of them. Even when I was in one, I was never in favor of them,” he said. “I think moving folks around is good for them, good for the county. They get to know the area. Granted, when you’ve been here 20 years you know the county, but if the only thing you do is Chiefland for the first five years, that’s the only area you’re going to know.”

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Enterprise Reporting by Terry Witt November 16, 2021; Posted November 16, 2021