“To the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees Board of Directors, thank you for your nonstop steadfast determination to stay on top of this case of healthcare malpractice displayed by the current and the past two former mayors for siding up with these disgraceful union heads. The fact that the current mayor is very tight with the head of District 37 is also very troubling matter. Thanks to the members of the NYCOPSR for continuing to support the five-year unnecessary ordeal that was caused by a shady backroom deal that almost flew under the radar. I would have to imagine that the so-called ‘Big Three’ union leaders never thought in their wildest imagination that a bunch of former NYC employees would fight tooth and nail to protect their rightful benefits. Getting to this point after five years is an amazing feat! Finally, thanks to Council Member Frank Morano and fellow Council Member Chris Marte for taking the lead on this issue. Now let’s see what the rest of the council does as well as the Council President. We are all hoping and praying that this issue will be behind us sooner rather than later.”

“God bless these courageous and selfless workers. For some New Yorkers, EMS workers may be giving them the only medical care they will ever receive.

That the City has ignored their pleas for safer staffing levels and better salaries for decades is a disgrace, putting all New Yorkers and EMS workers at life-threatening risk.

Mayor Mamdani SHOULD walk in their shoes for a day, or even half a day, to see the heroic work they do.

Thank you, Council Member Joann Ariola for trying to alert the public to these unacceptable delays in response time. Perhaps that will wake up those who have allowed these extremely dangerous conditions to fester for decades.

Thank you, work-bites, for shining a light on another very important story.”

“The Summer of 2026: Congratulations to the New York Knicks for winning the Big Enchilada but make room for the newest New York champions: the NYC Organization of Public Service Retirees. What a winning team they are and with the support of Councilmembers Marte and Morano they are looking forward to another victory. Onward brave retirees!”

“The PSC leadership needs to reconsider its position and support this version of the bill.”

“According to Mr. Linn’s remarks in 2019, and Mr. Greco’s remarks last month, Mr. Linn’s criteria have been met for Mayor Mamdani and the NYC Office of Labor Relations to fix the longstanding problem that directly affects public health.

In 2019, Mr. Linn was quoted as saying: “My hierarchy in life, . . . is that until proven otherwise, pattern bargaining should apply. But I am a believer that if you can’t hire and you can’t retain, that is where you make an exception.”

“The first thing you have to do”, he said, “is make sure you can hire and retain. If you can’t do that, you’ve got a problem.”
https://thechiefleader.com/stories/labor-commissioner-ems-pay-is-equal-to-or-exceeds-private-sector,5198?

Last month, Michael Greco, president of the FDNY EMTs’ and paramedics’ union local, said that NYC was down 400 EMS staff.
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/capital-region/inside-city-hall/2026/07/21/elected-officials-and-advocates-push-mamdani-to-fully-fund-far-rockaway-trauma-center

What is known from publicly available information:
1. In the last 5 Fiscal Years - July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2026, NYC recruited and hired 2,039 new FDNY Emergency Medical Services EMTs at a cost of $41,000 each.
2. Clear proof of the FDNY not being able to retain its workforce is that after hiring and training 1,944 new FDNY EMTs between 10/6/2020 and 10/10/2025, there were 27 fewer FDNY EMTs on the job on October 10, 2025.
3. Clear proof of the falling hiring numbers by the FDNY is that in NYC Fiscal Year 2026, the FDNY was only able to recruit and train 297 new EMTs, compared to 469 new EMTs in the 2022 fiscal year.
4. Clear proof that NYC officials have been aware of the problem is that former FDNY Commissioner Tucker was quoted one year ago as saying:
“The bottom line is that the crisis involves recruiting. People just don’t want to be EMTs anymore … The only people who are coming to us these days, about who want to be EMTs, are people who want to start the clock to become firefighters. After four years, they just go over to fire operations. It was invented before me as a back door to get in. It’s now the front door. It’s, in fact, the only one. The next 1,500 firefighters in New York City will come from EMS. But what does that mean? It means 1,500 out, and I don’t think we have 300 that want to come in.”

In March, NYC’s own Independent Budget Office issued a report, “The Percent of ALS Calls With Response Times Below 10 Minutes Has Fallen in All Boroughs Over the Past Decade”.
“IBO found that for the most serious calls (ALS) [advanced life support] staffing levels have increased proportionally less than call volume. Lack of appropriate staffing levels for these most critical calls likely contribute to longer response times.” https://www.ibo.nyc.gov/assets/ibo/downloads/pdf/public-safety/2026/2026-march-trends-from-a-decade.pdf”

“How about they find a way to fire Robert W. Linn or bring him up on any charges relating to negligence by screwing over Fdny ems and the civilian lives that need real help when it comes to their health?”

“For GOD’s sake, let’s put and end to this madness once and for all. Give the hard working, dedicated professionals of EMS the Salary, Benefits and Recognition that they not only deserve but for tooany years, have sacrificed for and definitely earned.”

John Peruggia
Chief of EMS ( (Retired)”

“Excellent article exposing the crud in NYC labor and NYC politics while highligting the heroines and heroes fighting to end the draconian 24-hour workday.”

“The privatization scheme at Elliott‑Chelsea is moving forward exactly as planned, and it is devastating to watch our homes being lined up for sale to the highest bidder. Residents are being told to accept displacement, demolition, and corporate control as “improvements,” while the truth is buried under PR language and glossy fact sheets. The Mayor’s Office of Tenant Protection released a misleading fact sheet to justify this destruction. It claims the Mamdani administration is committed to transparency and upholding the rights of tenants undergoing PACT conversions. This is a blatant attempt to gaslight residents. There is no transparency, no honest engagement, and no respect for the people who actually live here. The Mayor’s Office of Tenant Protection will publish anything to push this plan through. They haven’t read the lease or care to do so. We will continue to fight for our homes.”

“Joe, Thank you for reporting on another historic win brought to us by our unwavering Marianne Pizzitola, her wonderful NYCOPSR Team and attorneys!!! We’re so grateful and feel that we’re so much closer to saving the benefits municipal retirees earned, were promised, and desperately rely on.”

“MULSCREW Says Retirees [didn’t] understand the Medicare Advantage Plan that we were going to be put in. Yes we did understand. [We knew] it’s not Medicare & is a disadvantage when care is denied. Mulgrew should support passing NYC COUNCIL BLL 1008.”