AMR and Piners vote to strike in northern California

[fallout]

In terms of working on an emergency service, I do understand the concept of dedication and fidelity. Our job is to walk into crisis moments, either physical or emotional, stabilize the situation, provide necessary medical care and get to somewhere where the patient can continued to be treated. That is definitively a public service.

AMR, except for areas with primarily 911 contracts, is definitely not a public service.

With AMR, there is no concept of dedication or fidelity, there is only the concept of profit. I will say, I originally began working there with the concept of public service, of measuring my worth, so to speak, in terms of how I treated my patients medically and ethically. The longer I worked at AMR, however, the more I realized that the corporate management didn't measure you by those same values. You are measured by your ability to quickly run a call so you can get the next one and run it, ad infinitum. Nevermind if you throw the patient around by driving like a bat out of hell, or treat everyone, including your partner with contempt or don't treat patients who clearly need it, as long as you get clear of the call fast and move on to the next one, they are happy, because profit is maintained.

My intent is, private transfer-oriented services have breached what EMS is supposed to be about from a moral and ethical perspective. When I realized the route to promotion in AMR was through managing bottom line and not through providing skilled patient care, I stopped viewing the company as a public service. Instead, it is just another corporation that only understands acting to maintain profit and if one begins hurting their profit, then change will occur.

I believe it is unethical to strike from a genuine public service, but most transfer EMS is not at all a public service.

[MadMod]

There is a difference between low pay and substandard pay. The issue will resolve itself because the EMS personnel will leave the field. Dedication does not make the house payment. Dedication does not feed the children. Many will tell you with your education "you should be a nurse".

[MadMod]

The key to higher pay is better education that results in better patient care.

Having been in the budget process between the service, the municipalities, and the county, I can say in my experience the powers that be and the public do not care about education. All the budgeting powers are concerned with is how much it costs. I have sat threw meetings where the cities say "well, let's just lower the level of service; after all, your job is really just to drive them to the hospital". Why? Because it costs money. And the public doesn't want to pay anymore taxes. Does the rating of the EMS save them money on their insurance like the fire service does? No. Does EMS protect their homes and property like law enforcement? No.

If the educational level of all the personnel at the EMS would save them in health insurance premiums and lower their deductibles, people would line up to fund EMS. If, like the fire service, we had a scale where 10 was no service and 1 was the best, and people saw a saving, we'd be in the zone. Why do you think a small town buys a $800,000 ladder truck they only use 5 times a year. Because, the mayor and the fire chief can argue, with this ladder, our ISO goes from a 5 to a 4 and you save $X.XX next year. "How much do I save if we buy and staff 4 ambulances?" None. Plus we bill you.

We don't save people money and everyone thinks they'll never need an ambulance.

Having dealt with state level interactions with nursing boards and groups, they will prevent any increased acceptance of EMS training. Some of the major nursing groups advocate returning EMS to a specialty field of nursing "where it belongs".

EMS is not a widely unionized organization with national lobbying power. That will always hamper the progress and advancement of EMS. We are being sabotaged and we never know it.

What everyone needs is a good wake up call.

[JPINFV]

My intent is, private transfer-oriented services have breached what EMS is supposed to be about from a moral and ethical perspective. When I realized the route to promotion in AMR was through managing bottom line and not through providing skilled patient care, I stopped viewing the company as a public service. Instead, it is just another corporation that only understands acting to maintain profit and if one begins hurting their profit, then change will occur.

I believe it is unethical to strike from a genuine public service, but most transfer EMS is not at all a public service.

And I blame the employees for this as much as the company. There are too many panzies out there that are willing to sacrifice their morals and standards for the company. My company wants us out in the morning in 15 minutes. We have people that are supposed to "check" and "stock" the units (after which the cabinets get sealed) overnight (private, transfer service. Only a single 911 back up contract). Personally, unit check out takes as long as it takes. If it takes me 30 minutes because I'm chasing down supplies (it's fun when you find that you are missing a BVM from a sealed compartment) or filling up/replacing O2 tanks (it's a safe bet that on any given day, one of the spare takes is either broken or empty), then it takes me 30 minutes. If it takes me 10 minutes, then it takes me 10 minutes. I have no problem getting into a "discussion" about my check out times. If calls are backed up, then maybe we should have more units on! :idea1:

There is an assisted living that we are not supposed to reroute or call medics from (granted, the next closest is about the same distance away and it's arguable that emt-P ETA would be > or = transport time, but it's borderline). Our dispatch has to call the owner if any unit is rerouted or transports with medics. To me, my patient comes first. Anyone who accepts orders that are morally (if not legally) wrong when they know better is just as wrong as those giving the order.

[wowiee]

As an employee at Piners, and one who is planning to NOT cross a picket line, I feel our reasons have been completely misunderstood. First off, we are not AMR. We are a small, private company that services the Napa Valley in Northern CA.

We brought NEMSA in to represent us early in 2005. We have been fighting for a contract for over a year and a half. Our employer & lawyer have given us less than 25 negotiating meetings over the past 16 plus months. Ridiculous.

We are not striking because we are not getting a 17% raise. We are striking in response to multiple unfair labor acts that have been repeated and not fixed. Money never has and never will be our reason for this.

This strike is legal, and none of the 30+ employees striking will be fired, or punished in any way what-so-ever.

This strike is supported not only by surrounding ambulance companies, but by our local FD's, PD's, and many citizens.

This strike will NOT affect the communities. If Piner Ambulance cannot maintain their staffing levels the county of Napa has a contingency plan to bring in another provider until they can figure out what to do with Piner's 911 contract. This will not cause a delay in service. Please people, we are all in this profession for the same reason. Do you really think we would walk away from those who need us without a back up plan?

If Piner's wants to make the strike go away they have two options: sign the contract, or remedy the unfair labor acts. Very simple.

We are all entitled to our own opinions, and I do not have bad feelings against people who disagree with my thought process. Please be respectful of ours.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Wowiee

I agree with your premise but I think that you are wrong on one count. You say that you will not be punished in any way if you walk or strike. Don't be too sure. Who is telling you this? Unfortunately the possiblity of not so subtle punishment is always there. If you are considered a troublemaker or striker I'd be a little worried about retribution no matter how small. We tried to organize a union at AMR in Independence MO a number of years ago and the orgainzers were singled out a little bit at time and none of them were employed by AMR after 6 months.

Good luck and I'm glad you have a back up plan.

I do think that 25 meetings with management is not a high number but it is 25 meetings. Thats equates roughly out to about 2 meetings a month. If you guys couldn't get through your differences in 25 meetings then I'm worried for you guys.

Good luck and keep your chin up. It will all wokr out in the end.

Take care.

[Dustdevil]

Screw them. If the wankers spent less money on electronic cardiology stethoscopes, star of life tattoos, and useless crap from Galls, they could afford a $30 dollar co-pay for $300 dollars worth of medical care. Don't like that co-pay? Move to Canada and wait three months for your "free" doctors visit that cost you ten percent of your salary. :roll:

[wowiee]

. You say that you will not be punished in any way if you walk or strike. Don't be too sure.

Okay, so legally we can not be punished, but we understand how that goes. Murder is illegal but people do it anyways. The good thing about being outspoken about the union is you tend to be more protected than if you are a quiet supporter. It is easier to prove (sometimes) that you are being punished for union activity.

It is a risk, but one i am willing to take because I believe in our movement enough to put my job on the line for it.

[MadAxe]

As a member of a unionized service, and as a union officer myself, I'm always interested in accounts of labour/management relations in EMS. From the limited information available about this situation, it looks like this company is pulling all of the classic moves to keep its employees scared, docile and poor. Just look at all the solidarity they're getting from members of this board. :roll:

I sincerely hope these employees exercise their right to strike and either force this employer to negotiate in good faith, or get the contract yanked and handed over to someone else. For those of you who condemn these medics for endangering the community - you're playing right into the hands of employers and civic officials who would like nothing more than to pay you minimum wage with zero benefits. You're the reason the salaries of EMT's/Paramedics across the U.S. are on average one-quarter to one-half of those in Canada. And that's with our insane income tax rates and weaker currency!

EMT's/Paramedics are workers like any other. They have the same rights to safe working conditions and fair wages as any other. Why should any special conditions apply just because they're serving the public? I agree that EMS is an essential service that should not be disrupted because of the labour process - thats's what binding arbitration if for. If the company or community officials refuse to negotiate or go to arbitration, than they've left the workers with no choice. A community that doesn't care about its emergency service workers enough to bargain fairly... well, they've earned a wakeup call in the form of a strike.

[hugopreuss]

Private EMS providers do not have the option of binding arbitration as Firefighters and Police officers have, because in the eyes of federal regulation, we are not considered healthcare workers, nor essential to the community. Under the national labor relations act, we are considered transportation workers, i.e. in the same category as bus or limo drivers and therefore, binding arbitration does not apply to private EMS, in the case of Piners and AMR in northern California. So the only legal recourse that the employees of both companies have, is to strike.

Why is it that some on this board insist that "burger flippin'" wages are acceptable for EMS professionals is beyond me. The three main private EMS providers in my area, with the exception of AMR, provide compensation for medics that is less, equal to, or barely above what a pimple faced teenager makes at "in 'n out burger", a California burger chain.

According to the minimum wage advocates on this board, why then should not cops and hoseschleppers be paid near minimum wages as well, since they too argue that they are essential to the community and are part of a "higher calling"?

Here in California, a firefighter and or cop have about six months worth of education before they can "hit the street". A paramedic, nearly two years before he or she can do the same.

We all love paramedicine and taking care of patients, but it is a viable paycheck that feeds and clothes our families.

If that concept is uncomftable to some on this board, then why don't they quit their RN, medic and EMT jobs and volunteer those positions on the weekends or whenever spare time permits, while working another non-EMS job in order to make a living.