Seattle ambulance strike on hold as negotiations restart

SEATTLE — Friday's planned strike against the AMR ambulance company in Seattle is now on hold after the company agreed to return to the bargaining table tonight.

Some 420 Emergency Medical Technicians who are members of Teamsters Local 763 were poised to walk out at noon tomorrow.

The EMT’s are fighting for higher pay. Under the company's contract offer, starting EMT's would earn a little more than $17 an hour -- an offer they overwhelmingly rejected at the end of November.

John Moore joined the company two years ago.

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“We are economically unsafe. We're unable to keep our homes, we're unable to sometimes feed ourselves,” he said in an interview.

AMR told us they EMT's offered a good package.

“In addition to (higher wages) they 're getting 401K match, they're getting health care benefits. They're getting dental benefits,” said spokesman Jason Sorrick.

The company was prepared to continue services in the event of a strike.

“AMR as already brought in over 200 EMT’s, experienced, certified EMT's to continue providing service if and when the workforce here chooses to strike,” Sorrick said.

We saw picket signs at the ready at Teamster's Union Headquarters.

Then suddenly union members were called out of view for a private chat.

When he returned, Union President Anthony Murrietta broke the news to us.

“Right now, the strike is temporarily called off. We will not be picketing, asking all of our members to go to work.”

Murrietta says that's because the company finally is sending someone to bargain face-to-face for the first time since the contract was rejected at the end of last month.

“Tonight, we will continue bargaining as soon as their representative gets here, and we'll do the best that we can to reach an agreement,” Murietta said.

Murrietta says if there is no agreement, the union will have to give 10 days’ notice before a strike.

Cox Media Group