The unions representing the FDNY’s Emergency Medical Services workers are endorsing Justin Brannan’s campaign for city comptroller, a move that highlights a rift unfolding inside the Fire Department’s labor ranks over who to back in the competitive race.
Leaders of the two EMS unions, Local 3621 and Local 2507, both said they’re throwing their political weight behind Brannan because of his support for their push to have city EMS workers’ wages be commensurate with firefighters’ salaries. Pay parity for FDNY EMS workers has long been a top priority for the unions, and Brannan, in his capacity as City Council Finance Committee chairman, is pushing for this year’s municipal budget to earmark $50 million for raising their salaries.
“Justin Brannan has never wavered in his support. He understands the urgency of fair pay, better staffing and real respect for the job we do,” Local 2507 President Oren Barzilay told the Daily News ahead of an official Wednesday announcement of the endorsements.
Between them, Local 3621 and Local 2507 represent thousands of FDNY emergency medical technicians, paramedics, fire inspectors and emergency response managers. Like many other municipal unions, they’re known to mount get-out-the-vote efforts for their endorsed candidates.
Their endorsements come after another prominent FDNY union, the Uniformed Firefighters Association, also endorsed Brannan in March.
Breaking with that trend, last month the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, which represents higher-ranking department officials, endorsed Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, Brannan’s opponent in June’s Democratic comptroller primary. That dynamic pits the department’s higher-ups against its rank-and-file firefighters and EMS workers.
There has been no polling of the June 24 Democratic comptroller primary race. Levine has raised more money than Brannan to date, filings show.
