NJ EMS Unions

[StickySideDown]

Hello,

I'm currently interested in what Unions represent EMS employees.

If you work in NJ and are a member of a Union,

I'd like to know

- Place of Employment
- Your Union
- Is your workforce ALS, BLS, Fire, or a combination.
- When did your place of employment join the Union.
- Overall did your place of employment improve with your Union?

Thanks for your help!

 

[DrParasite]

Newark EMS are part of the Teamsters Local 97 (ALS & BLS)(been there for years, as part of the rest of the hospital's union system, don't know exactly when)
Newark EMS Supervisors are part of International Association of EMTs and Paramedics Local 200 (Supervisors only)(been there for less years, than the teamsters, )
MONOC employees are part of PEMSA IAFF Local #4610(ALS & BLS)(relatively new, think Oct 2007)

Most of the Fire based EMS system have a union to represent their full time employees.

Unions are great for saving your job against horrible and petty managers who try to blame you for system or equipment failures. They are great are preventing arbitrary discipline from occurring (we are going to write you up for doing infraction A, but since we don't like person B, he is getting fired for committing infraction A). This also means that low performing employees who should have been fired years ago are still employed, because managers and supervisors get lazy about actually documenting disciplinary issues.

A union is also only as strong as the contract it signs with management. When MONOC formed it's union, management simply refused to recognize or negotiate with it. I think they have since signed a contract, but last I heard, it barely improved conditions, and morale and pay still sucked.

there are still many many more EMS agencies in NJ that don't have a union, because people view them as short term jobs vs careers, and because people are scared to organize and fight for their rights.