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

Need to start a union - Peppermint Patti

Posted: Oct 23, 2014

OK transcriptionists.......We are all in the same boat that seems to be sinking. I am throwing everyone a life preserver. I know I can offer the doctors out there an easy way to dictate that is "clear, understandable, personable" (with transcriptionists assigned to their own personalized physicians). This is the way I have done this for 20 years. It worked great. I have a connection that will integrate transcription into the EMR that they are using. When I spoked to him, he asked me if I can get 4 transcriptionists on board ASAP. I do have some that I know I can but I would like to have a list of some that can do this. Please let me know if this is something you are intersted in.

What kind of doctors/transcription - questions

[ In Reply To ..]
Shifts, line counts, pay, type of practice. More details please. Interested.

Union? - Huh?

[ In Reply To ..]
Are you misusing the term union? Not sure what the heck you are talking about.

I hate unions. They make companies go bankrupt. I think, though, you mean every MT getting together and uniting. We tried that. Sorry, those of us who have been in the biz for 15 years have tried to unit to change things, and it has not worked.

Please clarify what you mean.

I'm sorry, but the MTSOs are making YOU and ME go bankrupt, so why would I care - if a union returned the favor?

[ In Reply To ..]
When I was a kid, my father was an auto worker and had it not been of the union, we my have lost everything. My dad was laid off repeatedly from GM and because he was a member of the union, he still got paid. He was always paid a good wage of his skills and got fair and frequent raises thanks to the union. Recent story, my nephew took at job at a welding company as an apprentice and joined the union. The company hired to sand blast, but he's a hard worker and so he was moved up the ladder to another job. He was offered a $3 an hour raise for this job as per union regulations. My nephew is not an educated guy, had some learning disabilities. Management at this company thought they would take advantage of this and basically told him they needed him back in sandblasting and when he asked if he was still getting his raise, he was told "I wouldn't bet on that." Then management told him not to tell anyone and even tried to get him to sign some sort of paper. My nephew was smart enough not to sign it and then spoke with a coworker about the situation who immediately put him in contact with the union rep. The union stepped in and basically told management where to stick it. Needless to say, my nephew got his raise and kept his job, thanks to the union.

We MTs would benefit greatly from a union. Had we had a union long ago, offshoring our jobs would probably not be the problem it is today. American jobs would have been protected, our wages would have steadily increased with each passing year instead declined over the years. We would be well compensated for certification credentials (not just a penny a line). We are sweatshop workers people! We want to pretend that it's just the Indians or Filipinos who take our jobs for 2 cpl working in the sweatshop. Wake up!

To the OP, that is what a union is. Not some silly club where we are essentially waiting for the plum assignment.

how are you offering this to everyone when its just 4 spots? - curious

[ In Reply To ..]
I would be on board with a bit of info. Let me know some details.

4 spots - Peppermint Patti

[ In Reply To ..]
Specifically to whomever asked about a union, yes, I do mean unite. I am trying to get something going to be able to have the kind of business I used to have. I did not have all kinds of "chiefs" that I had to pay salary to. Each transcriptionist had her own doctor or doctors. There was no pool and no shift. I did have 48-hour turnover time so it was up to each transcriptionist to make her own schedule. Right now that probably would not be acceptable, so would need to be 24-hour TAT. I do want some feedback and ideas. I have a lot going on right now trying to get medical transcription back to a respected profession and not a "sweatshop" which I well know about, going through my own torture of working with some of the big MT companies and making way below minimum wage, which should really be illegal. I am hoping that the big companies are going to drown themselves in all their rules and regulations and unneeded expenses paying out to team leads, QAs, and also not having any MTs willing to jump through all the hoops and being treated like idiots.

Visit my website at meddatatranscription.com.

Possibly what you really mean - Is some sort of MT

[ In Reply To ..]
co-op. Interesting idea, but at this late stage in the terminal illness of MT I am skeptical it could work on a large scale. I would, however, peruse a web site with a detailed business plan and the above concerns addressed.

I am an MT with a positive outlook/attitude - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I am interesting in hearing more. I am sending an email as I prefer talking off-board.

Thanks,
Karen

MT job offer - navysue

[ In Reply To ..]
Your post is somewhat vague. More details please.

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