Last week, emergency medical technicians, intermediates and paramedics at Rural Metro Medical Services in Western New York rejected a one-year extension of a five-year contract, which expired at midnight on June 30, 2008. The workers are represented by Local 375 in Buffalo.

The members voted against the contract extension proposal by an overwhelming majority vote because the company insisted on dictating the terms of future negotiations that the Teamsters felt were unreasonable.

"Due to the dedication of our members at Rural Metro and their concerns for public safety, our members are now working without a contract with hopes that the company will return to the bargaining table in good faith," said Joseph A. Sorrento, President of Local 375.

Rural Metro has so far refused to negotiate a full contract with the Teamsters until a lawsuit filed under Buffalo’s living wage ordinance by another party has been settled. The union is not a party in this lawsuit and believes that the contract should be fully and fairly negotiated without the interference of “outside” litigation.

"This company can easily resolved the litigation by following the law and by paying its workers a decent living wage," Sorrento said.