We've Got the Contract That Moves EMS Forward.

After a year of negotiating with their employer, Rural/Metro, members of United EMS Workers-AFSCME Local 4911 have secured a contract that improves safety conditions, increases pay, maintains benefits, protects jobs, and allows them to plan time with their families. Members voted overwhelmingly to ratify the new two year contract that must be honored even if their employer changes.

Faced with multiple hurdles at the table, EMS professionals at Rural/Metro’s 911 division used the power of collective action to hold the company accountable to the promises they made not only to them, but also to the residents of Santa Clara County. With safety on the line, members took a strike authorization vote to nudge the company in the right direction.

“We knew it was up to us to hold Rural/Metro accountable,” said Martine Bustamante an EMT at Rural/Metro 911. “People’s lives and our safety were on the line.”

Their unity yielded a contract that elevates standards for EMS in Santa Clara County.

“Having democracy and participation at every level is what makes our union strong,” said Samantha Tennison, a Paramedic at Rural/Metro 911. “We’ve never been this united, and it made all the difference in negotiations.”