San Diego's roughly 100 full-time lifeguards are voting on an agreement that includes a health care package that's unprecedented for California lifeguards.
The agreement has coverage called "presumptive health care." That's where lifeguards don't have to prove a specific on-the-job hazard caused certain illnesses. The presumption is they face higher risks everyday and the coverage removes the requirement that they prove an on-the-job incident caused an injury or illness.
The coverage doesn't go far enough, said Ed Harris, steward for Teamster's local 911. Harris wants the city to eventually include presumptive coverage of cancer or heart ailments. That would give lifeguards similar coverage to other first responders like police and firefighters.
"San Diego lifeguards have more responsibilities than any other lifeguard agency in the world. We do cliff rescue, river rescue, we have three fire boats, so we fight marina fires as well as boat fires," Harris said.
City officials say the proposal is unprecedented coverage for California lifeguards. They say they are open to additional coverage if research shows higher risks.
Lifeguard Chief Rick Wurts said the package does have presumptive health coverage for some airborne, waterborne and blood-borne illnesses and he said that's a pretty big concession.
"This coverage that's being provided to the lifeguard's here, what's very exciting about this, it's the first of its kind, that I'm aware of anywhere in the state, being provided to lifeguards. And the city is on the cutting edge of looking out for its ocean lifeguards," Wurts said.
Union officials said lifeguards regularly rescue people in the water and on coastal bluffs.
Lifeguards might take their quest for more presumptive coverage back to the legislature. Lawmakers did approve expanding coverage beyond police and firefighters back in 2014, but the governor vetoed the measure.
