LAWRENCE: Council approves new EMT union contract

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
    Township Council gave its approval to a four-year contract with the township’s emergency medical technicians at its March 17 meeting.
    The contract with Firefighters Mutual Benevolent Association Local 396, which represents the EMTs, is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2006, Municipal Manager Richard Krawczun said. It expires at the end of this year.
    The EMTs changed unions, which contributed to the delay in settling the contract negotiations, Mr. Krawczun said. The four EMTs had previously been represented by the International Association of Firefighters.
    Under the terms of the contract, the EMTs would be granted pay increase of 3 percent for 2006 and 2007, and 3.25-percent increases for 2008 and 2009, the manager said.
    The salary range for EMTs for 2009 is $47,344 to $59,083. Newly hired emergency medical technicians would earn $37,312 for the first six months under the training step instituted in the new contract, he said.
    The township’s EMTs provide emergency medical service weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Capital Health Systems’ EMTs provides coverage weekdays overnight from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and around-the-clock coverage Saturday and Sunday.