Honolulu paramedics will get pay raises, and the city will save more than $1 million in overtime, according to a tentative agreement that better controls schedules for the city’s more than 200 paramedics.
Last weekend the Department of Emergency Services could not staff five of its eight-hour paramedic shifts. And the paramedics who were on duty already had worked back-to-back shifts, department spokeswoman Shayne Enright said.
But a tentative agreement reached between the city and United Public Workers union would change 90 percent of paramedics’ shifts to 12 hours from eight hours and dramatically cut down on overtime, department director Mark Rigg said Tuesday.
Last year the Department of Emergency Services spent $5.6 million in overtime for paramedics — or more than one-fifth of the department’s entire $25.2 million budget.
Under the tentative agreement, the department expects to save $1 million to $1.5 million in overtime this year, Rigg said.
At the same time, the average paramedic will see pay raises of 10 to 12 percent.
"They deserve it," Rigg said.
UPW officials were on the mainland and did not respond to requests for comment.
EMS currently runs three eight-hour shifts per day, with two employees per shift, Enright said.
Under the tentative agreement, the department would need only two paramedics each for two 12-hour shifts, Enright said.
Rigg would not speculate when the tentative agreement will become final and the new 12-hour shifts will begin, but called them "the key to sustainability for our department."
Unlike the current schedules, paramedics would not be allowed to work overtime after a 12-hour shift.
"We really believe this is going to reduce our overtime, and it’s going to retain our employees and create a happier employee with a higher salary," Rigg said.
The city’s emergency medical technicians and paramedics are constantly leaving for the Honolulu and Hawaii island fire departments and to go into nursing, Rigg said.
He hopes better schedules and higher pay will retain more EMTs and paramedics.
Department officials have asked for 241 "field personnel" for the fiscal year that just began. As of July 28 they will have 214.
At the same time, 30 paramedics are also currently eligible for retirement, Rigg said, and "our guys are leaving."
Under the tentative agreement, those who stay will work fewer days per month, with more weekends off, Rigg said.
