Union and EMS

[fakingpatience]

I work for a private company with a union. As a disclaimer, I should note that I've never worked for a different EMS company, so I can't compare it to anything but what I've heard.

Most of this is about the contract, which our union negotiated with the company. I believe having a union and a contract go hand in hand.

Pros: Management has to treat everyone equally. Equal rules. Everyone gets the same amount of call ins allowed before they get fired. Reduces favoritism. Your job is more protected, can't just be fired at will. Everyone is treated equally

Cons: Everyone is equal. Doesn't matter how much you put into your job, if you come in, do your job without issue, you will slide by. No rewards for outstanding performance. Management likes to pull the 'its in the contract' card. Silly rules, where you have to play with words or find loopholes in the contract to get things done. They have to treat everyone equally. For example, we are ridiculously short on medics, always are, but the company won't support basics going through medic school either by helping with scheduling of work to get to class, or monetarily. They say that to be equal, they would have to help everyone with any school, and they can't do that, so they don't do it at all.

I did hear that the union negotiated higher pay with this past contract, but we also lost a lot of freedom with it.

(Sorry if theres any spelling issues, I'm having issues with my spell check)

[Just Plain Ruff]

I work for a private company with a union. As a disclaimer, I should note that I've never worked for a different EMS company, so I can't compare it to anything but what I've heard.

Most of this is about the contract, which our union negotiated with the company. I believe having a union and a contract go hand in hand.

Pros: Management has to treat everyone equally. Equal rules. Everyone gets the same amount of call ins allowed before they get fired. Reduces favoritism. Your job is more protected, can't just be fired at will. Everyone is treated equally

Cons: Everyone is equal. Doesn't matter how much you put into your job, if you come in, do your job without issue, you will slide by. No rewards for outstanding performance. Management likes to pull the 'its in the contract' card. Silly rules, where you have to play with words or find loopholes in the contract to get things done. They have to treat everyone equally. For example, we are ridiculously short on medics, always are, but the company won't support basics going through medic school either by helping with scheduling of work to get to class, or monetarily. They say that to be equal, they would have to help everyone with any school, and they can't do that, so they don't do it at all.

I did hear that the union negotiated higher pay with this past contract, but we also lost a lot of freedom with it.

(Sorry if theres any spelling issues, I'm having issues with my spell check)

Unions are great huh? Sounds like they got you more money but less freedoms.

you are running ridiculously short of medics but the company won't pay for education. A good union would work on that one too.

So just what did the union do for you guys?

Most of this board is anti union. I'm not sure why.

Unions have helped me obtain good pay, pensions, and job security. I am municipal.

Private ambo companies with no unions make shit pay and have lousy benefits.

Just the way it works around here. I'm telling it how it is.

So do you have collective bargaining at your shop?

If you do, aren't you just negotiating against yourselves?

Edited May 5, 2011 by Ruffems

[Bieber]

Damnit Bieber, that's the biggest crock of crap I've ever read, NO wait, that response was Spot on. I'm just joshin ya!!!!!

But seriously, how many EMS systems have any room for upward movement?

A better question is, how many EMS systems have successfully created room for improvement? And how can we apply their methods to other EMS systems?

How long do you think you'll last in a small service with a Bachelors degree or masters degree?

I think I smell what you're stepping in. All the same, the problem is, just like we agreed, apathy. Opportunity doesn't come out of thin air, you have to make it yourself. Looking around the world, and even in a few parts of the U.S., we see that opportunity isn't impossible. It's only a matter of us creating it for ourselves. Nurses have done it, again and again; from creating nurse practitioners to CRNAs to critical care flight nurses and so on. Same with respiratory therapists. And, really, the same with every medical profession out there with one major exception: paramedics.

We want and we want and we want, yet we never seem to get off our butts and actually do something about it. Why is that? A lot of things, I'm sure, but I think one major hinderance could be the fact that, in our day to day jobs, most of us don't interact with many other healthcare providers. I know that sounds oxymoronic, because we are regularly at the hospitals and amongst our partners, but think about it. When you're not on a call, where are you? Probably sitting in a station with your partner somewhere. And that's it. You and your partner. You may not regularly interact with admin, and admin may be more than just physically distant.

Unlike other medical providers who have a hospital full of fellow nurses, doctors, respiratory therapists and so on, we remain secluded, not only from other medical professionals but also from ourselves. And furthermore, exactly who is your partner? Are they a fired up paramedic like yourself ready to take on the world of medicine with nothing but a pair of trauma shears and a stethoscope? Or are they one of those who are either just biding their time till retirement or moving on to nursing and sick of EMS? Have they long since lost the will to try and change things? Do they bring medical books to work to study while they're on duty? Or are they busy playing on their phone or talking about fishing?

[mrfiher]

What union represents EMS

[Richard B the EMT]

What union represents EMS

Depends on geographic area, or municipal service versus private service provider under municipality contract, or other factors. FDNY EMS Command is Local 2507 (Uniformed EMTs, Paramedics, and Fire Inspectors of the FDNY), of District Council 37, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. Other cities may be International Brotherhood of Teamsters, or other agencies I admit to being unaware of.

[ambodriver]

Unions are great huh? Sounds like they got you more money but less freedoms.

you are running ridiculously short of medics but the company won't pay for education. A good union would work on that one too.

So just what did the union do for you guys?

So do you have collective bargaining at your shop?

If you do, aren't you just negotiating against yourselves?

Yes we have collective bargaining, and no we don't negotiate against ourselves, we negotiate a high wage and the maintaining of our benefits. There are no non-union FDs/Private ambo companies making near the money/benefits we do as represented by the IAFF.

It's not all about the money, but would you rather feel good about being a non-union service making 32k/year or be union making 80k/yr and get a pension, job security and a safer workplace??

Hard to raise a family in Chicago on 32k/year.

Without a union to bargain for you, you will not make that kind of money around here at all.

Edited May 7, 2011 by ambodriver

[Just Plain Ruff]

Yes we have collective bargaining, and no we don't negotiate against ourselves, we negotiate a high wage and the maintaining of our benefits. There are no non-union FDs/Private ambo companies making near the money/benefits we do as represented by the IAFF.

It's not all about the money, but would you rather feel good about being a non-union service making 32k/year or be union making 80k/yr and get a pension, job security and a safer workplace??

Hard to raise a family in Chicago on 32k/year.

Without a union to bargain for you, you will not make that kind of money around here at all.

Just who do you think you are negotiating against?

Collective bargaining in a public sector, you are negotiating against yourselves as well as every person in the county because who is paying your salary? The county which equates to the taxpayer base which is yourself and everyone in your service.

It's not like you are negotiating against a employer who has a select demographic that they sell to and you negotiate against them, you are negotiating against the county or the city which you are getting your wages and pensions and all that paid for by the tax payers therefore you ARE negotiating against yourselves.

See how that works?

I'm not knocking you on your benefits and your wages.

Have you ever been upset with the county or city government paying high salaries to other city workers? Like the 30 per hour that the street cleaners make, or the 25.00 per hour that the guys holding signs up directing traffic around construction zones?

[hatelilpeepees]

Unions kill jobs, just look at how well they have worked for the auto, steel, airline, and manufacturing industries.

[tniuqs]

Unions kill jobs, just look at how well they have worked for the auto, steel, airline, and manufacturing industries.

I believe your comment is just opinion.

Could you back up your statement with any facts in regard to any EMS union ?

cheers

[p3medic]

I don't know, without my union I doubt I'd be living the lifestyle I currenly have. No one cared about unions when the private sector was making money hand over fist, but now that the economy has turned, its all the unions fault. I don't remember which unions caused the economic collapse or how much they recieved in a government bailout, when you find out, please let us know.