Eramo calls on firefighters union, city to end impasse

Kaminsky announces support for career members amid imbroglio over staffing

Posted

City Councilman Anthony Eramo on Monday called on both the city and Local 287, the union representing the city’s career firefighters, to go back to the negotiating table amid an impasse over staffing that the union claims will endanger the lives of firefighters and residents — a contention that the city strongly disputes.

“It is my belief that our career firefighters of IAFF Local 287 are an integral part of our community, with a desire to maintain the outstanding emergency services we currently enjoy,” Eramo said in a statement. “Their very low response times keep my children, my friends and my entire community safe by quickly putting out the fires they respond to and preventing many large fires before they begin.”

Eramo, a Democrat, said he reviewed a number of concessions that the union, which has been without a contract since 2010, has offered the city.

“I applaud the union on their willingness to come back to the bargaining table with a list of proposed concessions, which I have reviewed,” he said. “I call on our city and the union to resume negotiations right away and determine if these concessions and a negotiated structure can put an end to the impasse over staffing levels. We are all neighbors, and we all must put public safety first.”

Meanwhile, State Assemblyman Todd Kaminsky, a Democrat from Long Beach, released a statement on Monday saying that he was supporting the career unit.

“Now, more than ever, we need a strong team of cross-trained firefighter EMTs to ensure our residents’ safety,” Kaminsky said in a statement. “I proudly stand with all of the Long Beach firefighters.”

City Manager Jack Schnirman said that the city’s new EMS model, which includes hiring eight civilian paramedics at starting salaries of approximately $40,000 — and who would become part of Local 287 — will improve efficiency and public safety and reduce costs. The career unit, he said, has always maintained two members on an ambulance and three on an engine. The city said it would maintain the 19 active positions that make up the career force, with four men on an engine.

Page 1 / 2