# EMS Unions In Texas



## childs57 (Jul 7, 2011)

Are there any unions that represent EMTs in the state of Texas, specifically the Houston area, other than the obvious personnel that are in city fire departments and represented by IAFF?


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## Amber (Jul 7, 2011)

I would be interested to know this also


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## bigbaldguy (Jul 7, 2011)

Probably not. Texas tends to be very anti union in general.


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## childs57 (Jul 7, 2011)

bigbaldguy said:


> Probably not. Texas tends to be very anti union in general.



I tend to be very anti-union in general, but there are businesses out there that treat their employees like crap, and sometimes you have to choose between the lesser of two evils. 

BTW...research shows there are two EMS unions in the U.S., with the majority of their members being in the Northeat and California. They are the NEMSA (National Emergency Medical Services Association) and IAEP (International Association of EMTs and Paramedics).


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## bigbaldguy (Jul 7, 2011)

I've been a card carrying union member in a unrelated industry for nearly 16 years. Yes occasionally my union does something I don't agree with but for the last 12 years (about the time we got some good officers in place) my quality of life has skyrocketed and that is do mostly to perks and raises my union has negotiated for me. While I have never had to use my union to protect me in a situation where I might lose my job I have called on them for lesser things like pay issues and contract violations and they have always come through for me.
From what I have seen unions in the EMS field are still kind of in their infancy. It will be interesting to see what the union field will look like in 15 years time.


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