Unionization in the EMS field.

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ITBITB13

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I'm talking about unions in the workplace. (Teamsters, etc)

Talks about unionizing are flowing like a river where I work. Sign ups are happening, and some people are strongly for it, others aren't, and some just don't know much about the subject. Like myself.

Anyone here work for a unionized ambulance company? Last I heard, AMR is unionized. How does it work out for you?
 
EMS is 100% unionized in Ontario and probably quite close to that across the country. (BC, NS, NB, PEI and most if not all of Alberta I'm sure about).

The nature of our job makes our working conditions ripe for abuse. No breaks, forced OT, health and safety, etc. Using my service (3rd service regional municipality, 400+ medics serving 1 million people) as an example, the union has been key in not only traditional roles like wages and benefits but on a reasonable meal break policy and on policy that greatly limits shift overrun. Other unions at other services have been instrumental and getting two portable radios on each truck ( initially refused by the province) and on flagging of dangerous addresses which then filters to the rest of the province. That's just recent and doesn't touch on the huge benefit we've seen in our jobs since the 2000 municipal download in areas such as pay, benefits and working conditions as our educational requirements increased.
 
Unions are generally good for any place or time when management is potentially abusive. They're especially important in fields with high turnover or a large hiring pool. Without a union, employees have no recourse against the abuses of management, being fired or disciplined arbitrarily, having hours cut, and so on. Unions are almost always good for workers. They are bad for management, because they reduce management's ability to exploit labor without recourse.

Basically, if you have the option to unionize, do it. As an employee, you have nothing to lose (except some stability during the shakeup). Management will fight it tooth and claw but in the end when the union is in place, you will be protected much better than if you weren't unionized.
 
My shop isnt union. There was a push for a union but I never got on board.

Im not the biggest fan of unions
 
A proper union when employees keep their heads and get a good organizer is good for employees, but it is also good for customers and management as well. Some managers won't like it but they are better-covered once rules are in place so their bosses can't make unreasonable demands on them.

A means to cover overtime, sick days and other holes in coverage (other than forced overtime or "declaring an emergency") will have to be found, however. In-house pool is a good thing, people wanting overtime can get it and people needing off can get that as well. (But track know often you are forced to work short; the owners always fall into that trap, since it is cheaper and sometimes inevitable).

And for employees who don't want to pay dues but will accept and use the benefits and pay the union gets them, make it a closed shop.
 
Wayfaring Man said:
Unions are generally good for any place or time when management is potentially abusive. They're especially important in fields with high turnover or a large hiring pool. Without a union, employees have no recourse against the abuses of management, being fired or disciplined arbitrarily, having hours cut, and so on. Unions are almost always good for workers. They are bad for management, because they reduce management's ability to exploit labor without recourse.

Basically, if you have the option to unionize, do it. As an employee, you have nothing to lose (except some stability during the shakeup). Management will fight it tooth and claw but in the end when the union is in place, you will be protected much better than if you weren't unionized.
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very very very well said.

Also remember, no matter what union you are in, it's only as strong as the union it signs with management.

But I definately prefer a union shop to a non-union shop, especialy in a field where you are looked up as a replacable entity, and treated as such.
 
Unions are an insurance policy. They're not a white knight, come riding in to SAVE YOU!!! if you've done something stupid, but they're there to make sure you have due process and that you're not taken advantage of.

In a perfect world we'd all be treated fairly by our employers in every way, in every situation, every day. Sadly, we don't live in "Perfect", and never will.

I was involved in union work in my "previous life", and was a union member for 7 years. I've seen the good, the bad & the ugly of what unions have to offer and still highly recommend union representation.
 
I agree 100% with wayfaring man

Yes you have to pay dues. Yes there is some guy making money to run the union, driving around in his hummer without actually working. But in exchange for, maybe 2-3 hours wages per month, you get probably increased wages, gauraunteed pay scales/wage increase, policies on discipline and hold overs, not being sent home early, light duty if injured, and maybe some percs like coffee in the lounge and boot allowances.

Unions are not all rainbows and unicorns, but on average they are far better than unchecked management.
 
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