AFGE Local 3721

San Diego Firefighters Union May Lose Members In Split

From SignonSanDiego.com, December 5

SAN DIEGO, CA – San Diego City Firefighters Local 145 is about to lose about one-third of its membership, a deficit that could weaken its political clout.

About 400 paramedics and emergency medical technicians who staff ambulances under a city contract voted this week to separate from Local 145 and join the National Emergency Medical Services Association.

Local 145 has represented those workers since 1997, when San Diego Fire-Rescue and Rural/Metro Ambulance created San Diego Medical Services, a public-private enterprise.

The split is not yet final pending certification by the National Labor Relations Board. Alan Arrollado, secretary-treasurer of Local 145, said his union will evaluate the election result and decide whether to challenge it.

“It's a significant impact to our membership population,” he said. “It's much easier to provide representation when all the groups are represented by one bargaining unit.”