11 Investigates: New lactation policy causing concern for Pittsburgh employees

11 Investigates has learned that a new nursing and pumping policy for Pittsburgh Emergency Services workers is causing frustration and controversy.

Some medics told 11 Investigates they are forced to use their paid time off when pumping.

But as soon as Channel 11 Chief Investigator Rick Earle began asking questions, the city made changes.

Earle said it didn’t take long to get action.

Just days after he began asking questions, the city has clarified the policy and will continue to allow medics to use their break times to pump.

Our investigation began after a call from a frustrated medic, who’s also a new mother.

A Pittsburgh paramedic, who returned to work after giving birth, reached out to 11 Investigates after she was told she’s no longer allowed to pump breast milk on city time.

She said her supervisor told her it would now have to be done using personal, vacation or comp time.

We took her concerns to Pittsburgh City Councilmember Erika Strassburger, who has championed safeguards for pregnant employees.

“It does sound unfair and I’m going to look into it on my end,” said Strassburger.

While federal law requires break times for pumping, it doesn’t mandate payments.

But Strassburger, who sponsored legislation to safeguard protections for pregnant employees, says medics shouldn’t have to use PTO.

“Whether they’re a pregnant worker, whether they are post-pregnancy and are pumping we want to make sure that people have accommodations,” said Strassburger.

The medic said she was told by her boss that Pittsburgh EMS is “overwhelmed” and that’s why they implemented the policy.

During the past year, 11 Investigates has detailed the staffing shortages so severe that units have been taken out of service.

However, the medic said that only two medics are currently breastfeeding.

“I have no doubt that she (Pittsburgh EMS Director) was trying to balance having enough staff to be able to respond to emergencies, and make accommodations for her staff,” said Strassburger.

Strassburger, who said she understands the delicate balance created by the staffing challenges, reached out to the Mayor’s office and the Department of Public Safety, and expressed her concerns.

She said she’s satisfied that the Bureau will work with these employees.

“I believe it is resolved.  I believe that we now have a clarification of the policy that allows everyone to understand, and all workers to understand they can take break time, they can take lunch time, prior to even touching their paid time off,” said Strassburger, who added that in extreme situations when a medic unit is out of service for a prolonged period of time because of pumping, the employee may have to dip into PTO, but Strassburger said the Bureau would make every effort to avoid that and allow the employees to use the paid break times, including lunch and dinner breaks.

The Public Safety Department released a statement to 11 Investigates on Thursday afternoon.

“The Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS did recently standardize a lactation policy for employees to ensure bureau-wide understanding. The recently implemented policy clearly outlines a nursing mother’s right to pump and safeguards their ability to take break time to do so.

Prior to the policy going into effect, nursing mothers were allowed to utilize paid downtime in service operations to pump. That remains the same under the policy. However, the new policy does formalize how this is coordinated including the condition that if a medic unit is taken out of service solely for the purposes of a mother needing to pump, then that will constitute an unpaid break. Crew members will then need to coordinate accordingly with their supervisors.”

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