On the 2021 marketing campaign path, Adams pledged he would as mayor see to it the FDNY’s emergency medical technicians and paramedics receives a commission as a lot as firefighters, who begin with salaries round $54,000.
“For years our EMTs, paramedics & fire inspectors have been shamefully denied pay parity — that comes to an end when I become Mayor,” Adams, an ex-NYPD captain, tweeted on June 4, 2021, echoing calls from union leaders who say their members’ beginning salaries of nearly $36,000 have pushed them into poverty and prompted a staffing disaster that’s impacting emergency providers response occasions.
The recording is of a November 2023 assembly that performed out amid the tense negotiations between a gaggle of advocates for FDNY EMS staff and Lewis-Martin, who on the time was Adams’ chief adviser at Metropolis Corridor.
Mayor Eric Adams. (Barry Williams / New York Every day Information)
Lewis-Martin, who resigned in late 2024 shortly earlier than being indicted on a bevy of corruption fees, instructed the advocates she didn’t consider the FDNY’s emergency service staff need to be paid as a lot as firefighters as a result of they don’t work “on the same level.”
After an advocate replied, “yes,” Lewis-Martin shot again: “No.”
“I wouldn’t agree with that, because they do work, EMS workers definitely do work, but not on the same level as a police officer or fireman does. No, that definitely doesn’t make sense to me,” she mentioned regardless of Adams’ 2021 vow to offer the FDNY’s emergency providers staff parity with their firefighter colleagues.
One of many advocates tried to persuade Lewis-Martin in any other case by noting FDNY emergency providers staff — whose unions have for years mentioned their salaries are incompatible with dwelling in some of the costly cities within the nation — are technically “more educated” than firefighters in that they must undergo almost a 12 months of coaching.
However Lewis-Martin rejected that argument, contending firefighters do way more vital work.
“They have to know how to put that hose and turn that freaking release up – you don’t know that,” Lewis-Martin instructed the advocates. “That’s not the same education.”
(Shawn Inglima/ New York Every day Information)
Oren Barzilay, a FDNY EMS employee who serves because the president of one of many division’s emergency response unions, mentioned he had the same dialog with Lewis-Martin throughout negotiations with the administration in July 2024, simply weeks earlier than the corruption investigation into the chief adviser landed within the public highlight.
“She said that we don’t deserve it and that our jobs are not as dangerous as the [firefighters],” mentioned Barzilay, who shared a duplicate of an invitation to the July 15, 2024 Zoom assembly wherein Lewis-Martin allegedly shot down his push for higher pay.
“I was taken aback by it because we had never heard the mayor say anything like that and our jobs are just as dangerous – we walk on the same calls as police officers, the same calls as firefighters,” Barzilay added, noting his members have been in shootouts and fires and in addition face the danger of contracting ailments once they reply to sure calls.
Lewis-Martin, who was indicted on an extra set of corruption fees final month alleging she used her Metropolis Corridor powers to do authorities favors in alternate for bribes, declined to remark this month.
A supply near Lewis-Martin mentioned she wasn’t conscious of Adams’ marketing campaign pledge when she spoke to the advocates and Barzilay. The supply additionally mentioned Lewis-Martin had no official function within the contract negotiations with the EMS unions and didn’t speak to Adams or different administration officers concerning the matter.
Kayla Mamelak, Adams’ spokeswoman, additionally mentioned Lewis-Martin didn’t attend any official contract negotiations with the EMS unions.
As to the present standing of the talks, which look like at a standstill, Mamelak mentioned Adams “has a proven track record of reaching fair labor agreements with our represented employees.”
The negotiations have dragged on as Barzilay and different union heads proceed to demand Adams make good on his marketing campaign vow.
To this point, the administration isn’t budging.
Meantime, Adams is going through powerful odds in November’s mayoral election and is reportedly contemplating dropping out of the race with a view to take a job in President Trump’s administration, which dismissed the mayor’s corruption indictment earlier this 12 months. Adams has mentioned he’s staying within the race.
Barzilay mentioned each month extra of his members are leaving the division with a view to take higher-paying jobs elsewhere. A few of his members, he mentioned, reside in homeless shelters as a result of they’ll’t afford hire.
Staffing ranges within the division are in consequence so low 143 of the FDNY’s 669 ambulances are out of service as a result of there aren’t sufficient staff to drive them, division officers mentioned final 12 months. Towards that backdrop, response occasions to emergencies have climbed considerably, with New Yorkers ready a number of minutes longer than they used to for ambulances to point out up throughout emergencies, metropolis information exhibits.
