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Announcement of Suspension of Shift Bid

 

 

AMR IS REQUESTING ASSISTANCE FROM SDAPP ON OUR UPCOMING BID PROCESS


The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted all of our lives in various ways. This pandemic has impacted our operation in a number of ways as well.

Though we have been very fortunate so far, this is a community-based disease now and the prediction of impact from spread within our city and EMS system is estimated to be between 3-5 weeks from now.

The numbers of EMS and Fire Department personnel infected in New York are staggering. We will know more as testing becomes more prevalent and unfortunately, as more of our workforce becomes more symptomatic.
 
Consequently, AMR has requested the labor groups of all three operations, postpone the forthcoming shift bids.  This request was made for many reasons including:
 

  • Administrative time to complete the assembly and administration of the bid have been impeded by the increased number of issues and responsibilities of the COVID-19 crisis on the AMR Management team 

  • A number of employees in our workforce have child care issues imposed on them with the closures of schools and this has created scheduling needs that have been arranged around our current schedule. Changing our current schedule could create hardships on those employees 

  • A number of employees have been recalled from Paramedic Student status and placed into temporary bid spots on our current schedule. This “mini bid” is scheduled to go through the resumption of their various Paramedic School (possibly into June) 

  • The company and SDFD have legitimate concerns over the unknown effects an increase of infection through our workforce will have on our staffing levels in the next two months

 

 

AMR HAS MADE CONCESSIONS TO ASSIST THE WORKFORCE IN THIS CRISIS


SDAPP identified key issues pertaining to childcare and other scheduling challenges and has requested AMR make some concessions to accommodate the work force in this extraordinary time of need. SDAPP asked AMR to provide some flexibility for our members, and AMR responded accordingly by:
 

  1. Dropping the 24-hour minimum SGA and SGT rules. 

  2. AMR has agreed not to count attendance occurrences. 

  3. AMR has increased flexibility by splitting 24-hour shifts into 12-hour splits at the request of SDAPP.  

  4. At our request, AMR has provided assistance to working parents in the form of a $50 per shift child care stipend. 

  5. Something we have requested from the beginning,  AMR published a document, guaranteeing every operations and support member of our workforce that has worked a shift within the last (14) fourteen days of symptomatology, a presumption of work-related contraction of COVID-19.

 

This is an enormous concession for us, as continuation of pay and coverage of health care costs of hospitalization with the unknown course of this disease, is extremely important to us.

 

 

SDAPP HAS AGREED TO A 30 DAY SUSPENSION OF THE BID


SDAPP has agreed to suspend the bid for (30) thirty days (from May 1st to June 1st). We will review the COVID-19 crisis and its impacts on our situation at the end of April and determine a proper course of action based on those needs.
 
During this time, we will watch our staffing levels, identify call volumes, levels and types and combine this with the Post Move Audit data provided for our system status committee members. We can then build a realistic bid configuration to meet the demands of the system and the needs of our workforce.

 

 

AMR IS OFFERING TO HELP THOSE THAT NEED TO MOVE BETWEEN THE BIDS


To accommodate those that need a schedule change through the remainder of this bid (depending on circumstances, could be June 1st or later) employees can: 

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  • Participate in mini bids to fill openings and transfer list requests. These would now include an unlimited number of moves on that list. The cascade openings that occur as a result of those moves, will be filled by others in these many bids.

    • The first mini bid starts this week and a separate bid email will go out today

  • Employees can also do a one-time trade of their current bid spot with another employee’s bid spot, for the remainder of this bid (ex: 24-hour spot for a 12-hour spot, first half spot for a second half spot, etc.)..

 

 

TEMPORARY FULL TIME OPPORTUNITIES FOR PART TIME EMPLOYEES


AMR has agreed to allow our part-time employees to bid back into open full-time spots temporarily, with the ability to return to part-time status later unimpeded, when the crisis is over.
 
This will allow our part-time employees to have a set schedule of full-time hours for work comp payments, should they unfortunately become infected.

 

 

WORKING TOGETHER TO SEE THIS THROUGH


All of us should remember how truly blessed we are to not only have employment and benefits, but have an opportunity to make overtime as well, when others are unemployed.  
 
We are all committed to working together with the company and the city leadership to see this crisis through.  All eyes are watching us and we are CRUSHING IT!
 
Thank you for your professionalism and understanding.
 
Respectfully,
 
The Board of SDAPP.
 
NOTE: An MOU of these temporary changes to our collective bargaining agreement will be posted shortly for your review and comment.

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