Unions needed or hurtful?

[ghostmed3]

So here in the south we do not see much in the way of ems unions, and I personally dont believe IAFF is or will ever have much to contribute to the ems side. Im curious though, if anyone has been with a union in ems that was felt to have actually made a difference? As I have ony been on the non union side Id like to hear more about it and how people get unions to represent them in their area....

[ghostmed3]

wow not one comment....

[Just Plain Ruff]

3 different unions,  not once did I see a single benefit to me.  I guess I did see a little bit higher paycheck but I really didn't see any true benefit.  

It's really cool though to be able to see a union wehn they are trying to get more money out of a city pull out their long standing horror stories where people will die and houses will burn if they don't get their raises and benefit packages.  Which has never ever been proven because the city always cave.  

[rock_shoes]

A well managed union can have a place; particularly when the number of employees exceeds fifty and an individual contract with each employee becomes onerous for both parties (employer and employee). The unfortunate part is that a poorly managed union can simply become another workforce abuser with overly high dues and poor representation.

The greatest difficulty within a union shop is seniority. Seniority is a measurable number and as a result seniority can be used excessively by unions. Promotions are frequently based less on aptitude than years of service. So far as I'm concerned seniority should only ever be used as a tie break between equally qualified candidates. Being a minority within a particular union can be rather difficult as well. Majority rules and that means the minorities wants and needs are going to take a back seat (if they even see the light of day).

On the positive side, vacation allotments, wages, benefits, and pension plans are typically better within union shops. That bit's nothing to sneeze at.

 

[ERDoc]

I've never had the opportunity to be part of a union but as physicians become hospital employees more and more, I'm beginning to think it might not be a bad idea.

[Just Plain Ruff]

I do agree with Rock Shoes on his points.  But like I said, I've never really seen the benefit to me of the union, but then again, each place I worked has been such a small shop and we were a satellite shop of a bigger union so we were kind of left to our own devices.  

We were sort of the bastard children of the big brother unions. 

[yakc130]

I will preface this by saying that I was raised in a two union household.

Was part of a "closed shop" EMS union. Even if you weren't a member of the union, you still had to pay a certain amount "for what they do for you."

I was told that we had one of the best union attorneys on the east coast, yet we never won an arbitration in the 11 years I was there. The city walked over us constantly. Police and fire ignored us unless they needed us for something. And finally, all of the administration were former union officers. Hmmm.

I had a disciplinary hearing once for backing into a parked SUV. I was trying to get out from underneath low hanging electrical wires from a MVA scene two pole lengths down. My partner spotted them from the streetlight glare after he got out and started walking toward the car. Only time I had ever seen this guy get worked up. He spun around and began screaming at me to back up.

My union rep literally didn't do anything during the step one hearing. Before the step two hearing, I went to the electric company on my own. I asked them about their downed wire training to see if it was similar to what I had received elsewhere.

I took everything that they provided to me, and I used it at the next hearing. Everything was overturned immediately. My rep then had the nerve to say that "they" did a great job.

Personally, I have no use for them. They have outlived their need. Your mileage may vary.