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Proposition 11: Private Ambulance Company Puts Fight Over Worker Breaks On Ballot

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A campaign largely funded by private ambulance companies has voters deciding what to do with employee breaks.

Proposition 11 would require emergency ambulance employees that work for private companies to remain on call during their work breaks.

PROPOSITION 11 FAST FACTS

WHAT YOUR VOTE MEANS

  • YES vote on this measure means: Private ambulance companies could continue their current practice of having emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics stay on-duty during their meal and rest breaks in order to respond to 911 calls. Private ambulance companies would attempt to reschedule meal and rest breaks that are interrupted by a 911 call.
  • NO vote on this measure means: Private ambulance companies would be subject to labor laws for this industry. Based on a recent court decision, these laws likely would require ambulance companies to provide EMTs and paramedics with off-duty meal and rest breaks that cannot be interrupted by a 911 call.

FISCAL IMPACT

  • Likely fiscal benefit to local governments (in the form of lower costs and higher revenues), potentially in the tens of millions of dollars each year.
  • Ballot impact data and vote text from the California Legislative Analyst's Office

READ THE PROPOSED LAW

The debate stems from a 2016 California Supreme Court ruling in Augustus v. ABM Security Services. In that case, private security guards were required to keep their radios on during their breaks. The court ruled that requirement breaks state labor law and that employers must provide off-duty and uninterruptible breaks.

Ambulance companies saw the decision as possibly impacting them and are attempting to head-off any issues and uncertainty with this ballot measure.

Lawmakers tried to fix the issue with Assembly Bill 263 (2017), but the bill died in the state senate over debates whether it would cover lower priority calls and how it might impact pending lawsuits.

The biggest and only backer of the bill financially is American Medical Response, one of the largest private ambulance companies. So far, it has put up nearly $22 million to promote the measure.

2018 CALIFORNIA BALLOT PROPOSITIONS

  • PROPOSITION 1
    Authorizes Bonds to Fund Specified Housing Assistance Programs. Legislative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 2
    Authorizes Bonds to Fund Existing Housing Program for Individuals With Mental Illness. Legislative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 3
    Authorizes Bonds to Fund Projects for Water Supply and Quality, Watershed, Fish, Wildlife, Water Conveyance, and Groundwater Sustainability and Storage. Initiative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 4
    Authorizes Bonds Funding Construction at Hospitals Providing Children's Health Care. Initiative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 5
    Changes Requirements for Certain Property Owners to Transfer Their Property Tax Base to Replacement Property. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 6
    Eliminates Certain Road Repair and Transportation Funding. Requires Certain Fuel Taxes and Vehicle Fees Be Approved by the Electorate. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
  • PROPOSITION 7
    Conforms California Daylight Saving Time to Federal Law. Allows Legislature to Change Daylight Saving Time Period. Legislative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 8
    Regulates Amounts Outpatient Kidney Dialysis Clinics Charge for Dialysis Treatment. Initiative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 9
    Removed from the ballot
  • PROPOSITION 10
    Expands Local Governments' Authority to Enact Rent Control on Residential Property. Initiative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 11
    Requires Private-sector Emergency Ambulance Employees to Remain on-call During Work Breaks. Eliminates Certain Employer Liability. Initiative Statute.
  • PROPOSITION 12
    Establishes New Standards for Confinement of Specified Farm Animals; Bans Sale of Noncomplying Products. Initiative Statute.
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