St. Louis Abbott Ambulance dispatchers join Teamsters Local 610

Seek to address fairness, wage issues

Sixty-eight dispatchers and call takers of Abbott Ambulance voted overwhelmingly in favor of joining Teamsters Local 610 on Nov. 22. The vote was 45-to-13 in favor of Teamster representation.

The workers handle dispatching services for multiple Abbott locations throughout the Midwest. The newly unionized workers are seeking fair pay and improved benefits, job security and an end to favoritism and a hostile work environment at American Medical Response (AMR)-owned Abbott.

“Local 610 is honored to have the opportunity to represent the dispatchers and call takers of Abbott,” Local 610 President Jeff Hall said. “We will work hard to negotiate a strong first contract for the dispatchers and call takers.”

‘SOLIDARITY AND UNITY’
“It has been really great seeing the solidarity and unity of my department pulling this off. I’m excited for my coworkers and myself to work together with the union to make us as strong as possible,” said Sarah Krege, senior call taker and communications training officer and key member of the Organizing Committee.

The organizing effort was led by Chris Mulkey from the Teamsters Organizing Department and John Moore from the Health Care Division with the support of Nina Bugbee, director of the Health Care Division and the Teamsters Organizing Department.

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit teamster.org.

(Source: Teamsters Local 610)