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Carroll County board sends paramedic tentative agreement back to negotiators
Summary
The board declined to accept a tentative agreement with the Paramedic Association and voted to return the contract for further negotiation, citing questions about cost and tiered pay changes.
Carroll County supervisors voted to reject a tentative agreement reached between the county and the Paramedic Association and directed negotiators to return to the table for further work.
County staff outlined three substantive changes in the tentative agreement: a language change addressing scheduled hours of work; adjustments to a tiered pay structure; and increases in call pay. Staff said the tier change cost was roughly $10,000 and that changes to scheduled and call hours produced an estimated 4.88% increase in total full-time payroll costs when salaries, vacation and insurance were included. The paramedic package as originally requested had an overall ask of roughly 7.4% according to staff notes.
Supervisors discussed the complexity of the paramedic scheduling and tier system, recruitment and retention concerns, and the limited visibility some board members had into the dollar impact of specific elements. Several supervisors said they generally favor tentative agreements but that this proposal required more work before approval. One supervisor noted arbitration limits and the county's prior practice on settlement ceilings.
A motion to decline the tentative agreement and send the matter back for further negotiation passed on a roll call vote. The roll call recorded Anderson voting no and Osman, Johnson and Miners voting yes; the motion carried per the chair.
Staff and supervisors said negotiations should continue, with attention to prioritizing items the union most values and seeking a package more in line with other county settlements.
