RFI. Anyone know what's up with AMR in NorCal.?

Also, forgot to add we have had wages frozen for the last 2 years, with the elimination of cost of living increases, etc, as well. We don't want 30% increases, just a fair increase.
 
Ok. I work as a medic in s/p/y. I can tell those who come up here to cover strike workers it won't be at union wages. So you all need to stop thinking on those lines because it's a dream. For those who I work with in the nor cal area you all need to knock off the scab term because technically it's derogatory and it is harassment and people you use that term against can technically take you to HR. So we seriously all need to get along. Bottom line we in nor cal need to stand up and continue to fight for what we deserve and if we walk the job needs to be covered so I will welcome the temps who will take my spot. Because I know the strike will only be that. A temp thing
 
fire87l2 said:
Ok. I work as a medic in s/p/y. I can tell those who come up here to cover strike workers it won't be at union wages. So you all need to stop thinking on those lines because it's a dream. For those who I work with in the nor cal area you all need to knock off the scab term because technically it's derogatory and it is harassment and people you use that term against can technically take you to HR. So we seriously all need to get along. Bottom line we in nor cal need to stand up and continue to fight for what we deserve and if we walk the job needs to be covered so I will welcome the temps who will take my spot. Because I know the strike will only be that. A temp thing
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It may not be at your union wages but more than likely it will be more than we are currently being paid. It will most likely be for 24 hours a day 7 days a week while we are up there. So in reality we would be making quite a bit more.
 
DesertEMT66 said:
It may not be at your union wages but more than likely it will be more than we are currently being paid. It will most likely be for 24 hours a day 7 days a week while we are up there. So in reality we would be making quite a bit more.
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Maybe it will be more. But, as you seem so proud to boast, you aren't union. So they can foreseeably continue to pay you your normal hourly wage for whatever time you are actually working on an ambulance, and then give you an additional pittance they'll term "incidental pay" to cover the cost of your lodging and meals that they will then pay you back for at a later date.

Don't be surprised if they pull this maneuver, because paying everyone 24/7 would be hugely expensive. Especially considering that generally during a strike you can't replace crews on a one-to-one basis. Often staffing is doubled or tripled because the crews don't know the system or the area and it just plain takes longer to run calls when you're new.
 
TheLocalMedic said:
Maybe it will be more. But, as you seem so proud to boast, you aren't union. So they can foreseeably continue to pay you your normal hourly wage for whatever time you are actually working on an ambulance, and then give you an additional pittance they'll term "incidental pay" to cover the cost of your lodging and meals that they will then pay you back for at a later date.

Don't be surprised if they pull this maneuver, because paying everyone 24/7 would be hugely expensive. Especially considering that generally during a strike you can't replace crews on a one-to-one basis. Often staffing is doubled or tripled because the crews don't know the system or the area and it just plain takes longer to run calls when you're new.
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Supers confirmed that lodging and transport would all be paid for (nothing out of the crews pocket).
 
DesertEMT66 said:
Supers confirmed that lodging and transport would all be paid for (nothing out of the crews pocket).
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Okay, so they're paying for your hotel and bus fare, but I would be shocked to hear you're being paid 24/7. And even if they "told" you that would be the case, I doubt they would follow through.
 
TheLocalMedic said:
Okay, so they're paying for your hotel and bus fare, but I would be shocked to hear you're being paid 24/7. And even if they "told" you that would be the case, I doubt they would follow through.
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I wouldn't be surprised if they paid the crews 24/7 (as they have done that with other strike coverages).
 
Notascab said:
Regardless of your debt or what you make you are being a lousy scab if you work in a striking area. Do what you want but remember that when YOU strike and others cross that picket line SCAB!!!
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LOL :rolleyes:
 
Notascab said:
Regardless of your debt or what you make you are being a lousy scab if you work in a striking area. Do what you want but remember that when YOU strike and others cross that picket line SCAB!!!
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So ugh Mr EMS professional, if nobody breaks the line and comes to work who exactly will be taking care of the patients you care so much about?

It's simple really, like any other career where there is a hierarchy if you don't like your pay etc etc your actually earn it by upgrading to the next step. EMT is not a career, it's a stepping stone into EMS and other healthcare fields.
 
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So as someone who is working up here in NorCal... As stated before we have voted for a possible strike. This was due to AMR refusing to negotiate on a contract that has been expired for 3 years. We currently have 20 or so operations- including dispatch and ift divisions- negotiating on this contract.

I cannot speak for all operations but here in Placer county we provide 911 and under a strike the EMSA will take control of the units and run the 911 calls for service with AMR employees essentially working for free to continue to serve our county. However AMR will not be able to bill for these calls and we will not be able to run IFT calls as we pull dual duty as combo 911/ IFT cars here. Non emergency calls will not get run and will force AMR to essentially punt these calls to other companies.

I urge those that don't currently live here to not comment on cost of living as there has been A LOT of changes in the past few years. Wages are also not the only issue. AMR want to change medical insurance to major medical only with a $3500 deductible before insurance would kick in at 70/30 coverage. They are trying to freeze our step increases permanently and give a 1% cost of living increase for the next 3 years. Since we are still working under 2010 wage scales this is significant when looking out to 2016 when this contract would expire again.

I am not looking for sympathy but only to educate some on the issues here. It is about the employees, and I am speaking nationwide here. We are just demanding that AMR give back to the employees that are the ones making this company ALL of it's money. I would gladly stand up for each of the operations here that are comparing their wage scales. I believe that you each should be paid more. But right now this is about our fight. Your will come and if you need a friend we would be glad to stand in your corner when that time arrives.

You all have bills to pay too. I just ask that you don't judge us at this point, and I will not judge you in return.
 
Placer Medic said:
So as someone who is working up here in NorCal... As stated before we have voted for a possible strike. This was due to AMR refusing to negotiate on a contract that has been expired for 3 years. We currently have 20 or so operations- including dispatch and ift divisions- negotiating on this contract.

I cannot speak for all operations but here in Placer county we provide 911 and under a strike the EMSA will take control of the units and run the 911 calls for service with AMR employees essentially working for free to continue to serve our county. However AMR will not be able to bill for these calls and we will not be able to run IFT calls as we pull dual duty as combo 911/ IFT cars here. Non emergency calls will not get run and will force AMR to essentially punt these calls to other companies.

I urge those that don't currently live here to not comment on cost of living as there has been A LOT of changes in the past few years. Wages are also not the only issue. AMR want to change medical insurance to major medical only with a $3500 deductible before insurance would kick in at 70/30 coverage. They are trying to freeze our step increases permanently and give a 1% cost of living increase for the next 3 years. Since we are still working under 2010 wage scales this is significant when looking out to 2016 when this contract would expire again.

I am not looking for sympathy but only to educate some on the issues here. It is about the employees, and I am speaking nationwide here. We are just demanding that AMR give back to the employees that are the ones making this company ALL of it's money. I would gladly stand up for each of the operations here that are comparing their wage scales. I believe that you each should be paid more. But right now this is about our fight. Your will come and if you need a friend we would be glad to stand in your corner when that time arrives.

You all have bills to pay too. I just ask that you don't judge us at this point, and I will not judge you in return.
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Amen. Gutting employees' pay isn't the way to make the company profitable.
 
Beside the point...

Just a general question-

How many operations run 911 and IFT with the same units? We get pulled off the streets to run IFT calls in other counties sometimes leaving our system depleted. Anyone else have this issue? As a resident of the community I serve, I resent knowing that 911 units are being pulled 2 counties away to run a discharge. Especially since SAC county is now a IFT only operations but brown out most of their units and rely on 911 counties to cover them.

Just a gripe but trying to get an idea if this is AMR wide or just our area...

This is simply a question and in no way reference to the above conversation, but since there are a lot of AMR employees from all over on here I figured I would get a better answer.
 
Placer Medic said:
We get pulled off the streets to run IFT calls in other counties sometimes leaving our system depleted. Anyone else have this issue?
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Kaiser contract can be a killer sometimes. There are times in my county where we are taking so many transfers that we wind up with too few ambulances to adequately handle the 911 volume. I don't know if the company gets fined for giving up 911 calls to other agencies, but it happens all too often.
 
re

Try working rural EMS with 2 ambulances on duty for 1400 sq/mi. We did 911 and ALL the transfers from the local bandaid station ER to the CVA/Trauma/Cardiac centers out of county which would remove 1 of 2 units from the county 3 hours at a minimum. Leaving the entire 1400 sq/mi to 1 ambulance........ This is the norm in ALOT of places. And if an off duty crewmember didn't happen to be keeping his pager on during his off time, then people would simply wait with BLS volunteers at scene for VERY extended periods of time for an ambulance, when honestly at 85% of them should have gone POV anyways, including half of the PT transfers we did from ED to ED.
 
TheLocalMedic said:
Okay, so they're paying for your hotel and bus fare, but I would be shocked to hear you're being paid 24/7. And even if they "told" you that would be the case, I doubt they would follow through.
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This is what happens when you shun your upper management. When you know and respect each other and treat each other like you're on the same level, things like this doesn't happen.

And as far as being reimbursed for expenses. It has always gone onto the paycheck following the pay period we were in when the expenses were input. And bus fare? Psh, we're flying up there!
 
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TheLocalMedic said:
Maybe it will be more. But, as you seem so proud to boast, you aren't union. So they can foreseeably continue to pay you your normal hourly wage for whatever time you are actually working on an ambulance, and then give you an additional pittance they'll term "incidental pay" to cover the cost of your lodging and meals that they will then pay you back for at a later date.

Don't be surprised if they pull this maneuver, because paying everyone 24/7 would be hugely expensive. Especially considering that generally during a strike you can't replace crews on a one-to-one basis. Often staffing is doubled or tripled because the crews don't know the system or the area and it just plain takes longer to run calls when you're new.
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The last personel shortage deployment I ran, they covered the hotel (really nice ones too) and gave us up to $50 per day for food which was paid back later after expense reports. I got back every cent I spent on food. And as for hourly, no its not 24/7, but it was an opportunity to pick up a :censored::censored::censored::censored: ton of extra hours. FEMA deployments are the 24/7 pay... Gotta love govt money
 
Placer Medic said:
Just a general question-

How many operations run 911 and IFT with the same units? We get pulled off the streets to run IFT calls in other counties sometimes leaving our system depleted. Anyone else have this issue? As a resident of the community I serve, I resent knowing that 911 units are being pulled 2 counties away to run a discharge. Especially since SAC county is now a IFT only operations but brown out most of their units and rely on 911 counties to cover them.

Just a gripe but trying to get an idea if this is AMR wide or just our area...

This is simply a question and in no way reference to the above conversation, but since there are a lot of AMR employees from all over on here I figured I would get a better answer.
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The high desert division operates this way.....I've seen them routinely dispatch Kaiser transfers at level 2. We run at low levels consistently. It seems paradoxical to me when we have 4-6 ldt transfers going out at the same time and they have to pull units from other divisions to cover our 911 calls.
 
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And this is what's wrong with private EMS running emergency areas. Their obligation is the bottom dollar and if that means taking multiple transfers and leaving an area depleted for 911 coverage they will do it. At the same time they will continually decrease wages and cut units for a better unit utilization hour. I hope I'm out of the private sector in the next couple years.
 
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