Hays County paramedics, EMTs, vote to unionize

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Employees at San Marcos Hays County EMS pose for a photo in front of an ambulance. (Courtesy of Tomás Maia)

AUSTIN, Texas - In a historic labor victory on June 2, workers at San Marcos Hays County EMS (SMHCEMS) won a vote to unionize their labor force. The newly formed union, Hays County EMS Association, will join Austin EMS Association as a new chapter organized under the Communications Workers of America and as one of the few EMS unions in Texas.

"As Hays County continues to grow, our agency needs to continue to grow as well," said Tomás Maia, a paramedic with SMHCEMS and a member of the union’s organizing committee. "I think a necessary component of that is having an association to protect the interests of the employees so that we can better serve our community."

SMHCEMS, a private non-profit, is one of two EMS providers that serve Hays County, the second-quickest growing county by percentage in the nation according to the 2020 census. Within the past few years, however, population growth and rising patient numbers left many workers saying they felt stretched thin and that the stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many experiencing burnout which resulted in rising turnover.

EMTs and paramedics at SMHCEMS started organizing in December 2022 amidst growing concerns and stagnating wages. Workers quickly rallied around unionization efforts, reaching over 80% of support among field staffers by March 2023.

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"We went public with our union on March 20… we made ourselves visible and made our case in person during a Board of Directors meeting on March 27," Maia said. "We were hoping for voluntary recognition that day."

Despite the overwhelming support, however, the SMHCEMS board did not voluntarily recognize the nascent organizers. Soon afterwards, union cards were collected and workers filed a petition for union recognition with the National Labor Relations Board.

Workers would face challenges in the months to come. "[There were] rampant rumors of layoffs if the union won… and fear-mongering about strikes from local elected officials," the CWA said in a recent organizing update.

SMHCEMS also hired Littler Mendelson, a law firm that specializes in "developing and initiating strategies that lawfully avoid unions," according to their website. Attorneys representing SMHCEMS argued that workers should not be able to petition for a union, claiming that they should be considered public employees due to the public serving nature of the work and despite SMHCEMS’ status as a private company.

STAR Flight crews hold open house in honor of National EMS Week

Attendees of the open house were able to take a look inside a STAR Flight helicopter, meet the flight crews and learn hands-only CPR.

Workers contested these claims with the help of CWA, winning an NLRB hearing in April. Ballots for a mail-in union election were sent out soon afterwards, and the union won with over 68% of voting workers voting in their favor.

"We were hoping that getting recognized wouldn't take so much uphill work," Maia said. "But regardless, we're glad to have official recognition now, and we're excited to work with our management and our board of directors."

Following the election, the union looks forward to fighting for benefits for workers and having a seat at the bargaining table.

"Bargaining surveys have already started going out," Maia said. "When you have a collective bargaining agreement in place, those benefits become locked in - it's just a better way to ensure that employees get the benefits that they deserve."

FOX 7 Austin has reached out to San Marcos Hays County EMS with a request for comment. This story will be updated as soon as a response is received.