CLEVELAND — Members of the union which represents Cleveland EMS, CARE Local 1975, plan to hold a sit-in the Cleveland City Council meeting on Monday night.
In a Facebook post, the union wrote "it is critical that EMS personnel have access to mental health services and a formal mental health policy."
Last month a Cuyahoga County judge ruled in the union's favor for wage increases and recognizing mental health trauma as an injury.
But CARE Local 1975 said the city has yet to pay the wage increases because they're planning to appeal the ruling.
The union's website said CARE members have been working without a contract for three years and nine months and that they're being paid 2015 wages. Their initiatives include:
- Implementation of a mental health peer support group as a means of combating PTSD.
- Advocating for a scheduled vehicle replacement program to increase ambulance reliability.
- Exploring ways to reduce attrition within CEMS, including working with legislators at the state and local levels to obtain a 25-year retirement plan similar to other public safety agencies.
According to the Twitter account for Cleveland EMS, there were more than 123,000 emergency calls for 2019.
Happy New Year!
— Cleveland_EMS (@ClevelandEMS) January 2, 2020
2019 Call Numbers for EMS:
-Incoming 9-1-1 Calls: 123,364
-Calls Dispatched: 109,663
-Transports: 80,602
This is the first time EMS has transported over 80,000 patients in one year.
News 5 Cleveland has reached out to the City of Cleveland and the Mayor's Office for comment, however have not recevied a response.
In addition to Monday's protest, CARE Loal 1975 is planning to hold a solidarity march on January 15th and 16th.
