DOES ANYONE KNOW ABOUT THE AMR STRIKE IN LOS ANGELES?

[Dustdevil]

Hell, DustDevil we are lucky if the public even knows the difference between a EMT and a PM, let alone, have a clue as to what me make for pay or receive for health benefits...

Your public officials know, and they are the ones that give AMR the contract.

So for you to say that the public does not respect us, because we ask for improved pay and health care, leads me to think that your way out of touch, maybe a desk jockey.

That's a really poor assumption. Not just because I am very definitely not out of touch, but because you completely misinterpreted what I said.

As a follow up...Can I assume then, Dust, you turn down your insurance and pay full boat out of pocket for your medical expenses at time of use? At the risk of incuring the wrath of Dust it seems a bit hypocritical for you to point out that someone would complain about the cost of healthcare while you enjoy said compensation.

More assumptions. This victim mentality, believing that everybody must have it better than you do, is really silly. There are people on this forum that would kill for your health insurance. Mine isn't much better. I get NO health benefits until I surpass a one-thousand dollar deductible each year. In other words, between a check-up and an ER or office visit a year average, I pay one-hundred percent of it and never see a dime of insurance money, so boo-hoo somewhere else about your measly $300 bucks. If $300 bucks is that critical to you, then it sounds like you need to be doing a lot better at money management and financial planning. What do you spend a year on cable/satellite, movie rentals, movies, dining out, beer, hobbies, a new 4wd and the gas it guzzles, tattoos, and strippers?

If $300 dollars is a contention point in your life, then you simply made a really bad career choice, and that's nobody's fault but your own. You knew what the pay was when you signed up for this gig. Your poor planning does not constitute an crisis on your employer's part. Man up, admit your mistakes, and change YOUR life.

[Doug]

Dust please insure that when you attempt to quote somebody that you are giving credit to the right person. Please EDIT your post . The second quote is attributed to me (you must be a desk jockey) if you notice I never said that. Please read posts more carefully in the future.

[Dustdevil]

Sorry about that. Definitely my mistake. But posts cannot be edited here, unfortunately. We all get to suffer because one person couldn't utilise the feature responsibly. :roll:

[zzyzx]

Just like big corporations, unions can be either good or bad depending on who's in charge. Did you guys hear about the dock workers in LA going on a one-day strike yesterday (May 1st)? They are undergoing contract negotiations, but they claimed that the walkout was to protest against the Iraq war. Last time they went on strike they cost the economy literally billions of dollars. These guys make $100K+.

[CBEMT]

And the 20% wage increase even it's over the next four years.

I'd love to know that I'd be getting a guaranteed 5% a year for 4 years. While it's clearly better than a lot of people, my yearly raises are subjective. Some cubicle dweller in HR decides what I get year to year, and it will always be less than 5%.

Something else I've been thinking about. People on this board and others have waxed poetic about the unity and political power of the police officers and career firefighters, wishing that somehow EMS could get to that point.

And guess what they both have?

Unions.

I'm not a huge fan either, but two out of three unified, empowered emergency personnel fields having what we want is hard to argue with. Call me crazy but it's something that's been rattling around in my head.

[Trapper]

The trouble with Unions for EMTs and Paramedic's working for Privet Ambulance companies, is that the majority of EMTs/ Paramedics, are only with the companies for a short amount of time. And as a result, I don't think you get as much of a commitment to the Union, as you might expect from a job one plans to stick with for a good many years, such as the Fire Department or a Police Department.... And if your fellow Union members don't care or are not committed , then the local Union chapter will be weak. And with a weak union, all you end up doing, is paying Dues and more Dues.....And getting very little back for your money, if anything.

I am in a union now, one that I voted against twice, and there's a big mess taking place. More about the mess, another time perhaps.....

Be safe........

Trapper

[Trapper]

Your public officials know, and they are the ones that give AMR the contract.

Actually the Public Officials, take bids on the contract.........at least in my area.....And award the contract to the Lowest bidder....who has the best ability to meet the needs of the contract..... Or maybe its the company that can slip them the most money under the table.........lol

[Dustdevil]

Actually the Public Officials, take bids on the contract.........at least in my area.....And award the contract to the Lowest bidder....who has the best ability to meet the needs of the contract..... Or maybe its the company that can slip them the most money under the table.........lol

Yeah, that was pretty much my point. The public officials who award that contract know why the lowest bidder is the lowest bidder. They know that it's because they are going to pay their ambulance drivers (which is all you are to the city/county officials, since their firemonkeys are the real professionals) squat for salary and benefits. If those officials cared one bit what we make, they wouldn't be searching for the lowest bidder.

The FAILURE of private EMS to thrive in this country has a lot more to do with the hostile environment within local governments than the ability of private providers to do a good job. These contracts set them up for failure from day-one. Witness all the nonsense in that Arizona contract that was posted here recently. These cities lay down all these conditions that they would never put on their own people, which basically prevent the provider from being able to live up to the terms of the contract even if they try, and then the city acts all indignant, as if they have been intentionally deceived, when the contractor can't meet the terms. It's almost as if many of them are just going through the motions of hiring somebody to fail so they have an excuse to turn it all over to the fire department later because the privates couldn't do the job, when in fact they could have.

But, I digress... :x