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

MT Week / Take A Union Break - Monday - Bettie_Bgood

Posted: May 15, 2011

Since apparently we MTs aren't ready to go on strike en masse - and some are deadset against it - how about this Monday, for MT Week, Take A Union Break, and watch an informative video, which talks about people getting fired for union organizing: Just Google: Mike Elk Video Stop Unionbusting Interestingly, it's two men talking: Would the video come across differently, if two women were talking about union busting? How about union busting as it affects telecommuters and other at-home employees, rather than Boeing workers, which I am going to guess, does not have a majority-female workforce... Wonder if the best strategy to take with unionizing MTs, is to identify if any MTSOs have federal contracts? Do university health systems receive any federal funding? Stay tuned for Tuesday's Take A Union Break installment. *I did post this on Main Board instead of politics, because it's an alternative activity for MT Week - besides the company-sponsored activities*

Reply to MT Week-Union Break - CMB

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In my opinion, unions of today do more harm than good, regradless of what industry they are involved in. MT unionization will only cause more offshoring.

MT week and unions - Alice

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I agree that unionization will only cause more offshoring and/or automated programs to be invented/developed. Also, for every one of us who attempts to start a union and loses his/her job as a result, there will be at least 2 more MTs waiting in the wings to be hired.

A few years back, I used to be upset when it was MT week and my employer would say nothing. Now, it is simply the exact behavior that I expect from them. However, if it is my day off and they beg for MTs to "log in and help clear reports", I just may not be so willing and quick to comply, especially this week.

Yes, I appreciate my job, and I understand the ramifications of my current attitude and actions. But, again, we teach them how to treat us. I am not starting a union, but I am definitely going to start setting some limits.

It is illegal to fire an employee attempting - to start a union. nm

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x

company doesn't have to have a reason to let you go - justaworker

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shocking but true, they do NOT have to have a reason to let you go anymore. most companies have in place a certain process to get rid of you based on performance, but they can fire at will if they want to.

Reason to be let go - Anonymous

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Justaworker, that is true and it is not just the MTSOs. Most job applications these days have a clause explaining that it is "at will" employment and you agree to that by signing the job application. Most companies don't want troublemakers on their team, even if you do a good job. "Taking a union break" and not showing up for work or not working if you are at home and scheduled to work would be grounds for dismissal, people have been fired for a lot less than that. I'd expect to be terminated if I didn't show up for work but maybe that is what those of you taking a union break want.

Please be specific - sm

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HOW exactly would a union make things worse for us than they are now? HOW are they doing harm? I see a lot of statements like this being made, but no one is offering any explanation.

OR - mt

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please tell us how they'd help. Tell us how they would raise wages over and above what the MT would be paying TO the union out of their pocket (whether they belong to the union or not). Tell us how they are going to FORCE our employers and clients to pay us more than the market bears. Please tell us how suddenly dictators will be easier to do or less demanding.

Actually, you don't have to tell us all that stuff because the answer is short and simple- it won't.

And STILL.. - no one answers the question. nm

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x

Good video! - sm

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2-1/2 hours into my shift, and I've earned approximately a whopping $2.30 (had 2 reports to type so far today).

Happy MT week! :-)

Union - onceinunion

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A union is going to demand higher wages and better benefits. Period. Why else would you want one? This is going to force MTSO's who are already having a difficult time staying in business to either go out of business or do something else. I just do not see a union forming in this industry. I have thought about it extensively. To begin a union anyway, it would need to be under an already established and powerful union, otherwise, it would carry no weight and no bargaining power.

Strike en masse - Anonymous

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Just how would we do that? Some of us work at home, some of us work on site, we all have different employers. I have an on site job. If I went "on strike" it would mean a strike against my employer, and I have no reason to do that. If I walked off the job, I know they'd tell me to pack my stuff and not come back. Medquist MTs would have to walk out on Medquist and that goes for all the other companies out there. Come up with something tangible and more organized and perhaps you would get some backing from your fellow transcriptionists. A union for MTs guarantees nothing. Outsourcing and offshoring is still going to happen, even on site MTs who thought the union would protect their jobs have experienced this. Voice recognition is here to stay, the unions can't stop that. Please state what it is that you think you will accomplish by walking out of your job. What do federal contracts have to do with anything?

Why a union won't work - been in one

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I have tried to explain this before but to no avail so I will try once again.
How do you think a union is going to work for MT's? Unions represent different groups of employees. Sure everyone might belong to the IBEW (international brotherhood of electrical workers) but wages and state licensening vary from State to State ie: a licensed journeyman electrician in California cannot work in Texas without getting licensed in Texas. What that same electrician made in wages in California is different than the journeyman's wages in Texas. Are you following me?

So MT's in general are IC's or employees, the IC's are free to charge what they want to charge per report either by the line, by the dictation minutes or by the report. An MTSO will pay so much per line, not by the hour or by the report and then they pay different for straight transcription vs VR. One MTSO pays better than another MTSO, has different benefits, etc.

We have so many variables in our occupation that it will be impossible for a union to negotiate wages for us or benefits. We are a breed all our own. We can't walk out en masse on one MTSO or one hospital and have it effect an IC, another MTSO or another hospital.

Telling everyone to walk out one day to show them we are not going to take the low wages anymore will never work. You will always find the people in our group that say, "I need the money, I can't afford not to get paid for the day", "I am the only wage earner in my household and I can't risk losing my job". One specific entity has the ability to put peer pressure on our co-workers and make life miserable for them if they cross a picket line, we can't do that because we have no way of knowing who is working and who isn't. So we have no power to take a vote and make a stand that says pay us so much or we walk.

I have been an MT in a union hospital and trust me when I say, it isn't going to save our jobs when VR comes in and they decide they no longer need us and it isn't going to work when we are spread out all over the country working in different for hundreds of different employers.

One more thing, unions are not only for wages, they are for representation so when you get nailed for something and they want to write you up, how is that going to happen? In a union setting you have a right to a union representative (shop steward) present during your counseling, how will that work when the MTSO you work for is 5 states away from you, who are going to be the shop stewards and how are they supposed end up with you and management in a room for a face to face verbal warning or a formal write-up?

How about - me

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a class action law suit ??

union - onceaunion

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In this economy, with gas and food prices rising by the day, damanding representation and higher wages or filing a class action law suit is the last thing from my mind. I want to simply hang onto my home and be grateful for living in a peaceful country.

Turn on the news. If you have a roof over your head, a job and your government isn't knocking on your door and taking you off in the middle of the night, you are actually doing pretty darn good.

Class action suit - Anonymous

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Against who and on what grounds? Can you afford to hire an attorney? If you can, your pay must not be as bad as want all of us to think it is.

Class Action Lawsuit? - been in one

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On what grounds would you file a class action lawsuit and who would you file it against? No one is forcing you to work for a company you are not happy with. You can leave and try another company, try to get your own accounts, work as an IC. No one is holding you hostage. An employer can pay what he wants to pay as long as it meets the minimum wage standard, if a person is not productive enough to meet that wage standard the company will more than likely fire you anyway.

Don't get me wrong, what has happened to this career stinks, it is wrong on so many levels BUT we can't sue them and make them change the way they practice business. I think our biggest hope was/is getting the information out to the general public that their medical records are going to 3rd world countries with ample opportunity for identity theft as well serious medical mistakes.

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