masterofmetal85

No I was simply stating the idea of supply and demand. First off TC staffs 4 ambulances out of Beth Israel 1 from NYU 3 from Mt Sinai thats all manhattan. They lost montefiore north and south in the bronx and still holding onto bx leb and st barn so will NYC be thrust into chaos no but will there be a strain on the system maybe anyways that's not what I was hoping to happen any way it was theoretical and instead of focusing on the theory behind what I said and make sense out of it you run to pain the picture like I'm a bad guy. All the while the problem will always remain the same

I want what everyone wants but I think should realize that unions are also companies. They hire employees and go through some of the same process as corporate companies go through in terms of tax id, payroll etc and their source of income is your money....if it were a true "union" in the sense there wouldn't be a separate 3rd party company representing disgruntled employees. The disgruntled employees would represent themselves and their would be no union initiation fees and weekly dues. TC doesn't need a "union" its employees are its union, they just don't realize it. If a majority of them got together and said hey we don't like the way things are happening here and tried to grab as many of other TC employees as possible and brought a request to the upper echelon and said "hey you need to pay EMTS x $ and medics x $ and we want these types of benefits. TC will obviously say no then they all say "ok fine we don't show up to work for a few days." The question is will TC be able to survive if 85-90% of their NY state workforce is AWOL, will they be able to rapidly hire and replace those 85-90% missing? My answer is maybe, because there's always people especially in EMS that are looking for/are desperate for work. With the rate of new grads on the street you'll never prevent them from walking in the door to TC and filing applications and if TC is that short they'll start running 24/7 open house. Each medic program in NYC alone (there's 3 I believe) graduates 20-30 students twice a year. So that's any where from 120-180 new medics in NYC where are they going? I didn't touch on EMT graduates. Then there's programs in westchester, LI, Hudson valley etc. You want the answer to better treatment for EMS, its simple economics with supply and demand. If I were to open a new company, wherever it is (and I'd love to in reality one day) I can pay like crap and treat the workers like crap and you know what? one leaves and an ad goes up on craigslist and a few other sites: monster, indeed.com, Jobsearch etc etc and I'll find more then enough replacements within a few days. You want a lower supply and higher demand shut down EMS programs for medics and EMTs for about two years maybe three watch how much better you're working conditions and pay improve. These major companies AMR TC Rural Metro have analysts project payroll based on need suppy demand etc they're so confident in knowing that you're just another number because in reality you are. There's another Medic/EMT waiting at the door to fill out an application or already did and is waiting to get called back. This is just the truth. Take Pharmacists for example; only 2 programs exist in nyc that graduate RPh's, Long Island University in downtown BK and St Johns in queens not only are these classes small its EXTREMELY competitive to get into these programs which only graduate a class once a year. They're held to a much higher standard. That's why a new grad out of pharm school gets a job in the back of a walgreens or a CVS for $50+ / hr with a neat benefits package. And it seems that theres always a new chain pharmacy opening up a store every where I look. Face it you want EMS to be held to a similar to standard and prestige then it starts at the academic level. Make Para-medicine a 2 year or 4 year program, raise the standards to be highly competitive and watch the rates of incoming and outgoing students drop which in turns leaves less pawns for the private companies and municipal agencies which in turn they'll place more value then they do now on the head of a paramedic. Look unions shouldn't be about bitching and whining over a late call or two or being mandated that's part of the job and that's our job if we choose to get on that ambulance everyday. If that's someones main reason for aching for a union then choose a different profession maybe a 9-5 M-F cause this ain't it. People ache for unions mostly for salary increase and good benefits...well I just gave one way to establish a good prestigious and respectable reputation for EMS workers where the upper management will actually look at us a little differently not just some slaves in a van with their company name on it.

ok "kind sir" I said this "I for one despise and loathe unions, so my opinion is biased and I'll stop with that. Theyre a bunch of mafia thugs who only push to sell their "product" which is a membership. They only care about themselves, gaining more members and how they can control and increase power. Employees should be given a choice whether or not to join a union when incoming to a company." This reflects my negative opinion on unions and how I feel about them regardless of the reason it's my outlook on a workforce responding to another company that many people love to call a "union". The second & third sentence comes from articles and videos I researched into. Regardless if you want to agree or disagree with them I have put some validity to said articles and videos. The fourth sentence again states my opinion why a worker shouldn't be forced to join a union upon being hired by a unionized agency ie being hired by empress, fdny , a hospital etc. which I will hold onto till the day I die... if this is the land of the so- called free (which I'm finding out isn't the case day by day... we might as well use the constitution for toilet paper) why do I have to submit my paycheck to union deductions if I sign up to work for a unionized agency whether anyone argues if its beneficial or harmful necessary or not I don't care it shouldn't be forced on any incoming new employees, that to me is foul; and no one can provide a rational for this yet the only thing I'll probably here is that's the way it is too bad. Now... you said this: "I've always worked union my entire life, so I can testify to the benefits of being union.....Just my two cents from a veteran union member. " in a previous post .......I can see now why you took this personal

Well maybe I wanted to work for FDNY but again my issue is why do I have to be forced to accept a union as an agreement for being hired there.

Citywides union is across the board except for management. I was a medic for them at 21$/ hr which is the same practically for all privates in NYC TC Assist, senior care , primary care, 1st response, all non union and pay 20-23$ and the benefits were not outstanding with citywide anyways. Plus I found it a little odd that most of their BLS crews who were screwing the dispatchers were doing nothing while the ALS crews were doing all their BLS calls (discharges, renal runs, appointments etc) in fact I've been sent to do calls like while a BLS crew was sent to a nursing home for a diff breather or Chest pain on numerous occasions. I didn't b**** about it to anyone I just went to my supervisor and said hey can you make me per diem instead of full time and that was that. The favoritism still existed. There was a guy there who I did my one ride along with and he was there for 15 + years only making 25$ which is $4 more then what I started with. I wasn't aware of empress hiring last I checked they weren't ( a couple of months ago)and TC i used to work for and they don't rehire anyone whether you quite or got fired (a good friend of mine was @ TC and went to FDNY she wanted to go per diem in stead of quiting but they fired her anyways because the notice to go per diem was less then 2 weeks notice)

exactly right all the comments pro union I've heard have been self centered and self gratifying and look what they did for me and look what they did for that guy. The unions don't care about you as long as you keep paying them, its greed all of it on both sides. A mans word is valued at crap these days when the start of this nation when someone gave you their word they meant it. I don't know when this red tape BS came in but its pathetic and has no integrity, and promotes bad habits such as laziness. It should be wake up in the morning to a nice breakfast made by your wife, drink your coffee and read the paper, drive or take a bus/train to work, walk in to work, punch in, do your assignments, mind your business, work as hard as you can all the while being proud of your work, and then punch go home sit down for dinner with the wife and kids have a little family time afterwards make love to your wife say your prayers and go to sleep to wake up and do it all over again the next day. Why this isn't the picture for the average household is beyond me because when I hear the American dream this is what I picture. This is country is beyond %&*#ed and I'm wondering if there is anything to do to save it. Yes we live in a capitalist society where small business can get started and grow to big businesses that's the beauty of the USA. But not everyone is meant to be a private business owner, some of us just want to work and simply be happy with what we do.

I'm under the impression that as a nurse joining a hospital or an EMT/Medic joining a FD like FDNY EMS or joining any union shop in particular you have to shell out union dues. I can't be hired by empress or FDNY or a hospital and say as a full time employee ( FDNY only hires full time) I opt to not be a part of the union. I know I'm right based on experience, and that's my grief people should be given a choice. No matter how small the percentage even if its just one person who says I do not wish to be a part of this union but I enjoy working here they should be given that right.

Ah tsk tsk more judgmental then this I cannot be: 1) I worked in a union shop (citywide mobile response a private in the bronx) for several months it was a bs union that did nothing for me except deduct money out of my check everyweek. People were still getting canned for dumb stuff etc etc. So I switched over to per diem so as to not get the money taken out. 2) Volunteered 2 places in brooklyn and Staten Island most if not all my BLS experience came from there before becoming a medic and I loved...in fact just the other week I went to go fill out paperwork to get back into it. 3) As far as picket lines I don't really care if its EMS RN or a teacher I have a job to do I'm going to work I'll do it with pride, I'm not selfish 4) NEVER EVER WHINED about ANYTHING in public even if a thought crossed my mind I'm not selfish and not a crybaby. I was happy enough to have a job because if you knew me personally not having a job was a big deal to me. If my supervisor said jump I said how high and no I didn't have any military experience I was raised to be respectful and appreciative of any and all opportunities. If you don't like being taken advantage of in EMS buckle down and go to med school or become something else. I love EMS so much that even when done with RN school I still want a full time gig on a bus. Its the nature of the beast and I'll take the bad with the good. 5) I don't watch TV I read mostly and I formulated my opinion on articles based on pro and anti union 6) I think medics should be making more then nurses do for their hard work but they don't so yea starting pay is kind of a big deal

Well money talks BS walks so yea its all about money, and there some companies like AMR in CT 1 location isnt unionized in bridgeport and they offer more pay so what are you saying theres no job protection. Common misconception spewed by union cronies thinking they can never get fired. I don't know about Empress benefits but MLSS a non union shop pays almost 2$ more an hour (still crap) but the company pays 100% of their benefits with a guaranteed 8 hours OT each week all this without a union. RNs start at 35-37$ + why can't empress match that with such a wonderful union. I'm in RN school and I don't care what nurses think I'll say it their faces EMS busts their asses way more then nurses ever will but yet they get 20+ dollars an hour more then medics and don't give me that BS its because of unions. And yea if I'm in a hospital and the nurses strike I'll be strolling right into work and punching in... say what you want ....God Bless America.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/04/nyregion/04drivers.html oh wow look at this a mafia connection to a union that never happened before?!?! and the same union leader who is connected to the genevese family had an issue with nyc forcing an illegal school bus strike in dec 2011 which bloomberg went to the feds to get an injunction on.

oh and then there's an article about SIEU union in some state (I have to look for the article and believe me I will) that in conjunction with the state leaders all democrat decided that if you're a parent on welfare that you've been declared a public worker in charge of caring for children because you're receiving state money to do so. They proceeded to take a portion of that incoming welfare money as "union dues". So, our taxes we pay for medicaid; a percentage is going to unions. Now there's legal precedence watch other liberal states follow

lets start with this jerk and we'll see how everyone digests it

I d love to hear the rational how a union is an answer to my problem and has anything to do with that

empress has a union yet their starting medic rate is 15.75

oh and sent an application to mobile medic tried following up and got the classic run around

used to work for TC senior care isn't hiring according to their website neither is RPs empress or MLSS used to work with hvp so care1 might be a little tricky to get back in

Granted may be so but be that as It may how does that mean i need a union or would benefit from One. The economy stinks jobs in ems are far and few Between here in Nyc. CT AnD PA HAVE some more opportunities so im looking Into that.

Youre Blind if you acctually think obama AnD soros has usa best interest at Heart so go ahead vote him in another 4 years

You know ideas like this is what gave birth to OWS and don't get me started on them

George Soros loves this country and democracy??? He's a damn communist against all classic American values: the centralized family, sacred marriage, law and order, the conservative stance on the economy etc etc and he loves America...am I living in the twilight zone??? What's next obamas the best president ever?? My heart bleeds for this flag and republic for which it stands in our current state and for its citizens who are so blinded with lies and skewered in their opinions

Oh and those things you mentioned earlier are already passed into law. So fortunately for me I'm not a farm worker working off the books, then these laws will apply to me even without a union.

ThEy gripe so Hard yet Back in 09 a union was voted against at their employee meetings By their griping employees so go figure.

I could go on and on ranting and raving citing anecdotal evidence posting youtube videos and articles etc etc but I'm not its 1 am and my sleep deserves more attention then addressing ignorance behind pro unions. Go lie in bed with the devil (ie SIEU,NEA, UFT etc etc) they're all crooks , they all supported occupy wall street, they're all puppets of George Soros.