It’s been a tough, two-year battle. But we came together and finally clinched a major victory in our fight to ensure that we have a voice when it comes to Medium Truck Driver job reclassifications at the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
It all started when the department unilaterally decided that Medium Truck Drivers needed a Class B Driver’s License despite requiring only a Class C License for many years.
We were blindsided. And on top of it, they ordered us to pay for any costs associated with the new requirement!
So we fought back. We compelled the department to provide us with the tools needed to transition fairly to the new job requirements.
These included:
- 40-hour in-house Class B License training
- An engine to practice and test on
- A required physical when using an occupational health doctor
- An extended deadline to take the new driving test
Now we have even more to celebrate.
Additionally:
- Physical exam costs incurred by Medium Truck Drivers over the past five years will be reimbursed – whether we were required to obtain a Class A or Class B Driver’s License.
- Any required physical exam for this new requirement will be free of cost if we are seen by a physician from LA County’s Occupational Health Program.
- If a Medium Truck Driver falls out of compliance with their Class B License for medical issues, we will benefit from the “grandfather clause” of the contract and can retain our job as a Medium Truck Driver in the LA County Fire Department.
- In the future, if these jobs get reclassified, we will be part of those negotiations from the start.
There’s more: Current Medium Truck Drivers with a valid Class A Driver’s License will receive a one-time 3% Special Pay Practice Bonus for one year!
These wins are milestones as we continue on our mission to make our union the best it can be. And it was in large part thanks to the tenacity of Medium Truck Drivers that we reached our goals.
REMINDER: We’ll be meeting on Wed., Dec. 16 at 11 AM via Zoom to review the agreement and get any questions answered. To get the link for the meeting, contact Katie Adamson at katie.hutchinson@seiu721.org or you can call/text Katie at (310) 845-5017.
So, congratulations to all the MTDs at LA County Fire! And remember to always stay #UnionStrong … because when we fight, we win!