Lee questions Bonsignore on EMS pay parity definition
Lee asks how FDNY defines EMS pay parity and what benchmark is used. Bonsignore says parity is understood as comparison to firefighters, but the details are between OLR, OMB, and unions. She advocates for EMS as a sustainable profession.
And then before I pass it on to Chair Areola,
I just wanted to ask a couple questions on EMS pay parity, which we know has been an unresolved issue for many, many years.
And so EMS pay parity, how does FDNY currently define pay parity for EMS personnel, and what is the benchmark being used for comparison?
So right now I think what you're going to hear a lot is pay parity in comparison to our firefighters.
So that is not something that we have defined.
This is something that has just been a matter of conversation.
Between OLR, OMB, the EMS unions, but that's how we understand it to be defined.
And do you agree with that assessment, that it should be at the same level as firefighters, or are you all internally thinking of a different benchmark?
Yeah, I think at this point, you know, my position is this, and I've been pretty...
Verbal about supporting EMS pay parity and I do think it's one of those things that need to happen sooner rather than later and I do hope that that is something that happens but
what I'm looking for is a way to have EMS be
an actual destination, a profession, you know, someplace they can come and stay, raise their families on the job that they're doing, and enjoy the life-saving work that they do.
And my position as the commissioner really surrounds us by, you know, being able to provide EMS services to New York City for the coming decades.
That's what we want.
We want to have a robust, sustainable EMS system.
So as far as the details go of what that's going to look like, that I would have to defer to OLR.
I don't have a seat at that table.
The conversation that I'm driving really is about the safety of our city and being able to continue our services.
Okay, great.