Paramedics, EMTs Claim Chicago-Area Ambulance Company Illegally Force…

(WTTW News)

Paramedics and EMTs working for the large private firm Elite Ambulance say the company illegally deducted the cost of red light and speed camera tickets incurred on the job from their paychecks.

In a class action wage theft lawsuit filed Wednesday in Cook County court, plaintiffs say instead of contesting the tickets, which were incurred during emergency calls while running with lights and sirens, the company charged the cost of the moving violations against employees’ pay without their consent.

“These are paramedics, EMTs, these are people who are engaging in life-saving work,” said attorney Ramsin Canon. “We know that ambulances need to sometimes move a little faster than the rate of traffic, so it’s not something that should come as a surprise … it seems as though the company just didn’t want to be bothered to appeal those tickets, or they just didn’t want to pay for them themselves.”

The two EMTs who are named plaintiffs in the suit say they were…