A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Here's what I just wrote to my gubernatorial candidate - CA-MT

Posted: Apr 06, 2010

I just wrote Meg Whitman, gubernatorial candidate in California, this letter.

Meg:

As another full-time working woman, please let me ask for your help.

I am only one of thousands of highly trained and experienced American medical transcriptionists being exploited by our company, Medquist, the largest employer of medical transcriptionists. We are not unionized and so are suffering the relentless, unattainable demands of our employer, and if not met, we are faced with penalties, cuts in salary, or involuntary release from our job. My salary has been slashed more than 50% since 2003, and I am not alone.

We feel the motive of our employer is to make us quit so as not to pay unemployment insurance. In 2003 Medquist was bought by C-Bay, an Indian-owned transcriptionist company, after which time we noticed these changes. We were not told at any time that 80% of our jobs will be lost to Indian transcriptionists. This means our Social Security numbers and all of our personal medical records are on the computers of Indians. Americans are completely oblivious of this.

Many long-term employees of this company could no longer suffer the involuntary changes made in our original job description, felt powerless to fight the big corporate system, so felt forced to quit. Out of over 8000 American transcriptionists, there are less than 3500 left in this company working for Medquist. We feel this ship is sinking fast and none of us want to end up in the icy waters of the unemployed.

I KNOW YOU CAN HELP BY GIVING US A VOICE!

Crying out in the dark,

It was over 10,000 American Transcriptionists - at one time

[ In Reply To ..]
and I believe C-bay bought us in 2006, not 2003.

dates - ex-CA MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I was laid off from MQ in 2007 and at that time the company was still trying to find a buyer. Phillips had controlling interest prior to that. I don't think the CBay thing happened until 2008 or so. Just an FYI.

This Is a Dynamite Letter - MT Idiot

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much for posting this. It is so well-written.

Just goes to show-ya what a bunch of true idiots we all are....why most of us can barely "talk much less read or write." Right!

3rd paragraph, 3500 left in this COUNTRY - imaidiot2

[ In Reply To ..]
letter is great :) send it

Thank you for this letter - send it. NM - Daisy

[ In Reply To ..]
NM

I don't think anyone cares - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I sent my senator a letter about my concerns with outsourcing. Surprisingly, I got an answer back from him. He basically said that while some jobs are outsourced, free trade is good for the American people. While some Americans lost their jobs due to outsourcing, foreign-based companies are increasingly "insourcing" jobs into the U.S., providing obvious benefits to American workers and the economy. Blah, Blah, Blah - they do not care about us.

Just last week, Nummi, "insourced" Toyota plant - (along with GM) in Fremont, CA, closed

[ In Reply To ..]
its doors forever, costing thousands their jobs, and causing a ripple effect across Calif. as other plants that sold products to this plant were forced to close, also.

I believe that being employed by a foreigner, whether offshore or on our soil, is BAD for the American economy. We need to take care of our own first, if other countries in the world are still going to rely on us for help in the future.

Letter - Anonymous

[ In Reply To ..]
You are on the right track although you might need to do a little more research before sending and provide some documentation to go along with your statements in regard to the portion of medical records being sent offshore. If companies use encrypted software, no one else sees your SSN so I'm not sure if what you are saying about that is correct.

Best to check your facts, first - CBAY

[ In Reply To ..]
While you may view this as nitpicking, if you are going to send a letter to someone you hope to offer you assistance, it's best to be factual.

Which company purchased A PORTION (they didn't buy the whole thing) of Medquist?

Was it CBAY Systems, Inc.

Or was it Cbay Systems India Pvt Ltd

Since one does utilize American MTs, your argument will quickly lose water.

The name of the transcription game for the last 20 years was the big companies gobbling up the middle companies and becoming bigger companies. Capitalism at its best, I suppose.

If the countless reports to Labor and Industry have not squashed the MQ practices, I'm willing to bet there's some legality (I won't even touch on the lack of morality cause that's a given) to what they are doing.

When I go to the MQ board and read the posts, I hear a lot of CYA being done by MQ.

I've said for a very long time, that MTs need to be careful what they wish for, because we're beginning to see the fruits of those wishes and it is NOT pretty.

I think trying to reach out for guidance on how to handle MQ is a good idea, but the fact that you are blaming India or CBAY for the loss of jobs is not likely to fly since you just don't have the facts and figures to back that up.

Out of over 8000 American transcriptionists..... - that whole sentence makes no sense

[ In Reply To ..]
Full of overly dramatic statements, with few real facts (i.e., none).

I would also suggest a more professional, respectful greeting than simply "Meg:" ... unless you are intentionally going for inappropriately casual or fraternizing.

But if writing this made you feel better, then good for doing it!

I agree, I would not address a gubernatorial candidate with - Meg?

[ In Reply To ..]
with her first name. At least I'd type: "Hi, Meg," or "Dear Meg."

Would you write "Barack?"

Don't think that will get you anywhere - Backwards Typist

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been a thorn in the side of my reps and hear nothing back for the past 3 years. They aren't interested. Period. We are only a small group of people compared to the votes they can get from others.

It sounds like - just me

[ In Reply To ..]
According to some of the posts you should have checked some of the facts. I don't know, so I'm not going to comment whether you are right or wrong. I don't know, but reading some of the comments it sounds like it.

I was reading your post and while all intentions are good, these were the questions/talking points that I was thinking of as you wrote it:

It sounds like you have a beef with the company. Wouldn't it be more productive to address this to the company instead of a politician? (never heard of her, unsure who she is).

What exactly is it that you are asking of her. That part was very vague. All you said was "I know you can help by giving us a voice!" What voice? What is it you are asking of her? To contact the president of the company you spoke of? If so what do you want her to tell them. It sounds more like you should have written to an Ombudsman more than a politician.

Do you know exactly there are only the amount of transcriptionists left? Where did you get that information?

There were a lot of other questions I was thinking of but while writing these are the only ones I can remember.

Anyway...as an outsider just sounds like if you are unhappy with what you are doing you should apply at other companies. What voice is it that you are wanting from her?

I agree with "just me"...sm - letter

[ In Reply To ..]
When reading this letter I thought throughout the whole thing:

If you do not like it there, just leave.

Sorry!

I have to agree - Lynn

[ In Reply To ..]
If you want to be taken seriously you never address someone by their first name unless you have an actual relationship with them. Also if you are going to post numbers and state them as fact, always, ALWAYS, give a reference. At our local university if you state something as fact in a paper, you had better be able to back that fact up. Your letter was way to vague.

"more than" NOT "over" - grammarpolice

[ In Reply To ..]
see BOS2. No wonder we are losing our jobs, if we can write no better than you.

I sent Teamsters Union a Comment - jm0405

[ In Reply To ..]
I sent the Teamsters Union - there's a box for people that want to get organized - I sent a message explaining we need better pay, downtime coverage, no work sent to India, no more of these employers refusing to pay us. I explained we are large in #, just ignored. We need representation. Do the same. Write the Internationl Teamsters Union and explain. The more the merrier - the more likelihood we have of obtaining representation. No more typing for $2.21 an hour!

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