The labor force of Boston EMS has been unionized since the late 1960's. At that time, service was provided by two separate job categories at Boston City Hospital, Ambulance Driver and Medical Aid Man. During that time period, employees in these two categories were represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), local 1489. During the early 1970s, as modern EMS evolved, the job requirements changed and all ambulances were staffed by two registered Emergency Medical Technicians as mandated by Massachusetts state law. Employees in the newly created positions of EMT, Senior EMT, and Principal EMT continued to be represented by AFSCME.
As the profession continued to evolve, the members of Boston EMS became very active in union activities. Union members of Boston EMS not only strove to improve wages, benefits, and working conditions, but more importantly, we were at the forefront of the struggle to improve patient care, upgrade vehicles and equipment, and increase the level of service provided. Through the years, the union has been the leading force in improving EMS in Boston.
In 1986, due to the ever widening gap between the EMS members and other hospital employees, we were granted a charter to form our own local under AFSCME. AFSCME local 636 was born with our own Executive Board, Stewards, and other members who understood our conditions and concerns. We made significant strides in achieving our goals. We not only received substantial raises and increases in benefits, but also convinced the city to increase the number of EMTs and Paramedics, put more units on the street, and replace aging equipment. We maintained our own office, and provided our own computer, copier, and other office supplies. Our advocacy, not only for our members, but for the patient population that we serve, continued unabated.
As EMS continued to evolve in the 1990's, differing "community of interests" led to an affiliation with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association (BPPA). The House of Representatives of the BPPA had previously voted overwhelmingly to accept our application for affiliation. This marked the first time in the year history of the BPPA that any other agency had been allowed to affiliate. We joined the BPPA in 1994.
We are known as the BPPA EMS Division and constitute a separate division of the BPPA, and as such have our own President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Chief Steward, House of Representatives, and other elected and appointed officers. We share the offices of the BPPA at 9-11 Shetland Street in Boston. We fully expect that this affiliation can only help us our never ending efforts to improve working conditions, and the delivery of EMS to the residents of and visitors to, Boston.
In early 1998, the members of the BPPA overwhelmingly decided to affiliate with the Internation Union of Police Associations (I.U.P.A.), and the A.F.L.- C.I.O. This affiliation will give both the police officers and EMS personnel of the BPPA a stronger voice in union and legislative matters.
