Union Affiliations

[p3medic]

When Big Red comes looking to take over your EMS system you will wish you had a strong, politically active Union to fend them off. How many EMS systems across the country have fallen to the fire service? Not having a union makes it way more likely that the IAFF with its political clout will roll right over you. Just the way I see it.

[letmesleep]

p3medic, you lost me, and I am asking for some clarification about your last post. I am IAFF, the district I work for is county run tax based, we have been IAFF for approx 18 years now. How exactly will the IAFF roll right over us?

just curious

[reaper]

I think he is trying to say that the IAFF will side with the FD in a takeover attempt.

If the FD wanted your service, the IAFF will not stand up to them on your behalf. That would be shooting themselves in the foot. The majority of their members across the country are FF's. They are not going to alienate those members, just to help 24 of you.

If you want a union, then why not get your fellow employees together and form your own? One that has EMS as their number one goal and no conflicts to prevent it from doing it's job fully!

[p3medic]

I wasn't as clear in my post as I should have been. I am greatful for having a union (not the IAFF) that is politically active and lobbies for my interest as well as EMS in general, locally anyhow. The local IAFF has made several overt statements to the effect of merging or outright takeing over EMS, and has been successful in many areas around me. The IAFF thus far has helped you guys out with benefits, however for most non-fire based EMS systems the IAFF is a bad choice. Your dues go to an organization who has stated numerous times that they believe EMS should be run by the fire service. If it wasn't for the work of our union, we would no longer exist, of that I am certain.

[Dustdevil]

Your dues go to an organization who has stated numerous times that they believe EMS should be run by the fire service.

In other words, if you are IAFF, you are sleeping with the enemy, and paying for them for privilege of doing so. In law enforcement, we have a term for that.

[mstovall]

I work for a Union shop. I am also a union officer. We are represented by the Boilermakers local P-3.

This being fully disclosed, I will say things that I have said internally as well as privately to employees at my service. First, in the USA, regardless of if it is a closed shop or not, people have the right to sign a Beck letter on the grounds of religious or political beliefs that prevent you from paying you dues. You are still responsible for paying the percentage of your dues that goes to internal expenses that affect contract negotiations, labor/management meetings, and leadership training that supports these two parts (i.e. steward training classes, contract negotiation contracts, etc.). The part a Beck objector has to pay in usually can go up to 80% of the normal dues, but not exceed that percentage. The Beck objector also gives up their right to participate in Union activities (i.e. CE), Union elections, or Union events (i.e. labor picnics).

Second, as a public employee also, although the local association has no striking rights, the local government has to bargain in good faith on contracts, or they are subjectable to forced binding arbitration. This may keep people from striking, but it requires that governments act in a fair and equitable manner.

The problem with unions in EMS is that there is not one Union nationwide that represents us. The FF have the IAFF, the auto industry has UAW, coal miners have UMWA, utility companies have IUWA, etc. The EMS community has IAFF, Boilermakers, Steelworkers, and many others. To develop a voice on the national front, we need a nationwide single voice for us. Instead of slitting each others throats, we need to stand together.

The Labor movement in the US has only been effective when employees unite with a common voice. That is how in the past they received better wages, better training, and a safer work environment. No occupation has ever improved their lot in life in the US without a voice of Labor except politicians. Heck even doctors have the AMA.

As for representing the trash of the employment and not letting them get fired. I have stood up for people many times that I disagreed with their action. However, everyone is entitled to due process. If our contract outlines how they have to go about firing someone, then the company needs to follow that. If we allow them to selectably fire and hire differently for each instance, then the same practices can be used against respectable people if they are not in management's favor.

As for management and labor relations, we have great relationships with lower and middle management. As for higher level managers, they refuse to come to the meetings and they are not held in the same light as others.

I will agree that most unions representing us lack the power that the bigger unions have, but that is because we as and industry have failed to unite together under one organization, an organization that wants to represent us. If the NAEMT's chooses to step up their efforts to unite the industry under one voice, I would be all for that. I would probably push for reaffiliation to be part of a movement like this. Until they choose to represent the individual on the front lines on a personal level, they will not be able to have the voice of the industry.

The UAW have changed many things in the auto industry, from saving jobs, to higher wages, to better benefits, they have done a great job of representing the workers of their industry. Until we have a common voice that will look out for us in the local environment, we will never have the unity to change a nationwide persona of what EMS should be like (wages, benefits, training, etc.).

As much as the IAFF has been talked down upon on this thread, look what they have done for FF's across the US. Don't we deserve the same benefits?

I don't think the boilermakers are the ones that will pull this industry together. The NAEMT is the only organization for this movement to take off that I see. Unity brings more change than education on a personal level. Unity has a bigger voice than each of us writing separately to our congressman. Unity is the only means of moving our industry to the levels that many have expressed reaching (better pay, better benefits, etc.).

JMHO,

Michael

[reaper]

The UAW have changed many things in the auto industry, from saving jobs, to higher wages, to better benefits, they have done a great job of representing the workers of their industry.

Lets see, The UAW fought for autoworkers to make $40.00 an hr, for a job that is worth $15-18 an hr.

Where are a majority of those workers now? Out of work! Massive layoffs! Do you think the union or the workers left behind care about them now? They paid dues and still lost their jobs.

I have seen major companies brought to their knees by greedy unions, that do not know when enough is enough. I agree that there should be decent pay and good working conditions, but some unions push it to far and the lowly little guy gets screwed in the end. They are out of a job and the union leader is sitting pretty, without a care in the world!

I agree we need a national voice for EMS (as in an association). But, we do not need a union. We need our professional people to take charge of their own career and stand together for change. This does not take paying someone else to do it for you.

[tniuqs]

Lets see, The UAW fought for autoworkers to make $40.00 an hr, for a job that is worth $15-18 an hr.

Where are a majority of those workers now? Out of work! Massive layoffs! Do you think the union or the workers left behind care about them now? They paid dues and still lost their jobs.

I have seen major companies brought to their knees by greedy unions, that do not know when enough is enough. I agree that there should be decent pay and good working conditions, but some unions push it to far and the lowly little guy gets screwed in the end. They are out of a job and the union leader is sitting pretty, without a care in the world!

.

I see so the market's had nothing to do with it, nor did the price of gas, or that the car makers profit margin, nor a recession had any influence ... looks like we all know where you stand.

But saying that (I want too make it very clear these are not my words)

The UAW fought for autoworkers to make $40.00 an hr, for a job that is worth $15-18 an hr

Did you want to join Jimmy Hoffa so have you been fitted with cement shoes and are you nuts, cause you sure aint smart .... well, with that post.

I will send flowers.

[TDP]

I see so the market's had nothing to do with it, nor did the price of gas, or that the car makers profit margin, nor a recession had any influence ... looks like we all know where you stand.

But saying that (I want too make it very clear these are not my words)

The UAW fought for autoworkers to make $40.00 an hr, for a job that is worth $15-18 an hr

Did you want to join Jimmy Hoffa so have you been fitted with cement shoes and are you nuts, cause you sure aint smart .... well, with that post.

I will send flowers.

I got a good chuckle out of this post..lol

[mstovall]