California Healthcare Strike.

[EMT John]

Does anyone know about a strike coming up next week in or around Bakersfield and other parts of California? I've been asked to possibly fill in a position but don't know much about what's going on.

 

[CBentz12]

I didn't know california was still part of the united states. Didn't they do away with it already?

 

[DesertMedic66]

Haven't heard anything about strikes here.

 

[Amberlamps916]

Look up EMT on the job postings on Craigslist....they are hiring for it. To be specific, the hospitals are using a company that provides healtcare workers for strike effected hospitals.

 

[mycrofft]

Sounds like a good way to get burned. People are going to be ordered to do stuff out of scope since EMT's by definition are EMERGENCY TECHNICIANS, not nurses, respiratory techs, janitors...wait, they COULD be used as janitors if they are hired as something besides EMT's.

 

[JakeEMTP]

Sounds like a good way to get burned. People are going to be ordered to do stuff out of scope since EMT's by definition are EMERGENCY TECHNICIANS, not nurses, respiratory techs, janitors...wait, they COULD be used as janitors if they are hired as something besides EMT's.

They will not use an EMT as an RN. California is one of the strickest states for licensed vs certified and patient ratio staffing.

These strikes happen all the time in California. I think this will be number 3 for Sutter just this year in Northern California. What they might use EMTs for is as extra ambulance staff if they move patients from a striking hospital to a nonstriking hospital or one that is better staffed. That will depend upon the ambulance company. This usually happens with Sutter and Kaiser. Sutter has union and nonunion hospitals. The patient may go to one ER but get admitted at a nonstriking hospital for less staffing issues and problems with picketers. They are transported by ambulance.

 

[bigbaldguy]

I would caution people to be very careful about taking any relief job during a strike. Mycroft has a good point, people may feel as though they need to do something outside of their scope or more likely just used as grunt labor with no rights. More importantly do you want to be seen by your fellow EMS workers crossing the picket line?

 

[Veneficus]

I have never heard of any reputable company posting adds on craigslist.

I would not use it for a job search ever.

 

[bigbaldguy]

I have never heard of any reputable company posting adds on craigslist.

I would not use it for a job search ever.

Agreed. There is a reason they are looking for people on craigslist as opposed to the normal hiring channels and the reason isn't good.

 

[JakeEMTP]

I would caution people to be very careful about taking any relief job during a strike. Mycroft has a good point, people may feel as though they need to do something outside of their scope or more likely just used as grunt labor with no rights. More importantly do you want to be seen by your fellow EMS workers crossing the picket line?

You will not work in a job description other than what you are licensed or certified for so don't get to thinking you are going to get play nurse. The hospitals and agencies aren't stupid and do this alot. For nurses, they have a national network which will bring experienced nurses in from all specialities and even then sometimes :censored::censored::censored::censored: happens since they are not given much of an orientation to the hosptial. But there is not shortage of nurses waiting for assignments. The same when an ambulance company is going to strike. Lots of EMTs will want to pick up extra money for a couple of days.

The hospitals are huge and have big contracts with the ambulance companies. A few use ER Techs but not that many so they are rarely brought in.

Usually it is the guys talking up about how great unions are who will be the first in line to get a scab labor job for a couple of days.

 

[EMT John]

They are bringing me in as an ER Tech so we will see how it goes. i just wanted to see if anyone has had any experiance doing this. As for scope... I know my california EMT scope and dont plan on exceeding it. I have no problem telling someone no.

 

[bigbaldguy]

Usually it is the guys talking up about how great unions are who will be the first in line to get a scab labor job for a couple of days.

Ahh and now we see where you're coming from. Obviously that is why they are advertising on Craigslist, because so many union folks use Craigslist as their source of employment info? Makes perfect sense now They are advertising on Craigslist because they are trying to keep it under the radar they can't advertise on the usual employment channels because they know anybody with any sense will know better.

Again I would caution people to do their research before crossing a picket line. These will be temporary jobs and if anyone thinks that the hospitals will have their back after the real employees return then they are mistaken.

 

[EMT John]

Of course i know this is temporary... all i plan on doing is go in and work for a couple days and get out...

 

[Veneficus]

They are bringing me in as an ER Tech so we will see how it goes. i just wanted to see if anyone has had any experiance doing this. As for scope... I know my california EMT scope and dont plan on exceeding it. I have no problem telling someone no.

There is a slight flaw in this thinking.

The scope of an ER tech is defined by the hospital, under different administrative rules than those for a field EMS worker.

I don't care about the moral issue of crossing a picketline.

But I caution you that Craigslist is a forum that deals primarily in disreputable endevors.

Your chance of being conned or worse is very real.

 

[Bullets]

I've done scab work as an ER Tech and EMT, found both jobs on craigslist, both jobs were legit. Got like 4 days of solid work and made some extra cash

I have no moral issue crossing the picket line. During college I made a living by basically doing mercenary work moving from company to company

 

[bigbaldguy]

I've done scab work as an ER Tech and EMT, found both jobs on craigslist, both jobs were legit. Got like 4 days of solid work and made some extra cash

I have no moral issue crossing the picket line. During college I made a living by basically doing mercenary work moving from company to company

Interesting you use the term mercenary. From wiki "motivated to take part in the hostilities essentially by the desire for private gain". This term tends to have a negative connotation.

 

[mycrofft]

My meaning about the RN's is that if you are called to work inside the hospital you may be performing some duties a nurse usually does, not acting as or fully replacing a RN. If they didn't expect some sort of medical action they wouldn't hire an EMT, they'd hire a janitor, so if things go sideways they will say "But the worker said she/he could do it". Don't do any favors, just work the rule, go home and look for a real job.

Sutter has a long history of slick (deceptive) management of nurses and many others (although once you are established or if you work in one of their affiliate offices, it gets better), such as broken promises made upon hiring about shifts and transfers and departments assigned to. Just keep you eyes open and don't allow them to misuse you.

 

[Veneficus]

I've done scab work as an ER Tech and EMT, found both jobs on craigslist, both jobs were legit.

You are very brave and very fortunate.

 

[mycrofft]

California, especially Sacramento, is easy on non-contract interim workers. Few people will honor a picket line and strikers do not generally cause trouble as they might, say, in Detroit or Manila.

 

[JakeEMTP]

Ahh and now we see where you're coming from. Obviously that is why they are advertising on Craigslist, because so many union folks use Craigslist as their source of employment info? Makes perfect sense now They are advertising on Craigslist because they are trying to keep it under the radar they can't advertise on the usual employment channels because they know anybody with any sense will know better.

Again I would caution people to do their research before crossing a picket line. These will be temporary jobs and if anyone thinks that the hospitals will have their back after the real employees return then they are mistaken.

For the licensed like nurses and lab they are very up front and advertise in the professional journals through agencies just like alot of travel companies. Some travel companies have a branch just for strikes. Just like all the newspapers have said about the strikes, the hospital staff will be out for usually 5 days and that is how long the temps will have a job. Even if the strike is for just one day, the strikers will be out for 5 days. If you don't want to strike, you still have a job. Less than half of the union members of the union who calls the strike ever walks out. Very few even do the picket line.

EMTs and Paramedics as temps is a little more difficult since they don't have alot of temp or travel agencies.

The ER techs Kaiser and Sutter have will probably be certified phlebotomists and they might get a flier in the mail since names can be obtained from a licensing board pretty easy. Rarely will they take just an EMT. Sometimes they'll put from a Cert Nursing Assistant Registry so they can float them everywhere. EMTs can't work anywhere but the ER and only as what they want them. If the EMT can do an Epipen or give nitro in the field, probably they won't be able to touch the stuff in the ER. They may not even be able to do a glucose stick. If anything they will have very minimal duties to get by. They usually staff the licensed nurses very well and float their nursing assistants. Hospitals are just used to doing this in big union states.

What I meant by those talking up a union, they might preach everyone should hold out and be all for the union so the members can get higher wages but the first chance they get to work for a couple extra bucks for a couple fo days, they jump to get it and will cross any picket line of union members striking for their cause.