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

This is what happens when there is no collective bargaining - and we are an isolated group..UNION UNION UNION

Posted: Jul 10, 2011

Whenever there is a talk of unionization, there are so many to quickly poo poo (technical term) that idea..but THIS is exactly what happens to an isolated group of ..and I am going to say it...WOMEN. We have no collective bargaIning power, we are not a cohesive group and so the 6000 (supposedly...that is how many US based MTs medquist has), have to literally bend over and take it up the proverbial....where you know where I am going with that metaphor.

Until there is a way to unionize this group and be able to exert pressure, they will continue to treat us like the disembodied middle-aged frumpy housewife typists that they SEE as.

Without US putting out the product...there would be no MedQuist. They can dream up all the ASR software (again..the biggest bust for THEM...a nice tool for us..but did not wipe out the need for MTs like they counted on)...as well as their ridiculous TATs and Compliance Measures, abdundance of middle managers.....they want..but bottom line..if reports were not transcribed, they would be out of business.

I have no idea how to do this...but I wish there was SOMEBODY who could start this.

UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION UNION

You're right - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
This has been tossed around before, and you're right, it's always been poo-pooed. I think the conclusion was that we would have to join an already established healthcare workers' union.

The main problem is that only a small percent of MTs read MTStars or even know it exists. Isolation is our biggest problem. For a union to work at the Q, we'd need a BIG majority of MTs to participate to be effective. Without a majority, we'd all be out of jobs. They'd love that. They could replace all of us with those willing to work for 4 cents a line and make a huge profit.

Problem is, why hire union workers when you can hire ILP. - elle

[ In Reply To ..]
This is something the (then) AAMT should have raised the question to/supported. But, we all now know from years of experience, AAMT/ADHI has never had the worker's interest at heart.

It was so easy to just replace those willing to work for 4 - cents a line, they would do it

[ In Reply To ..]
I believe that quality only comes with experience, and with all do respect, to work on your own with only 1-2 years experience, and training by some MT course is not enough to do this job. It takes years to be a seasoned MT that can do all acute care. I strongly agree that if all US based MTs were to get together and joine a professinoal union that ALL MTSOs need to hire from, we would enjoy much better working conditions..and I am not just talking pay rate...but the micromanaging that goes on, the all over the place QAing (99% ALL OF THE TIME??.. show me any job that requires 99% ALL OF THE TIME), the unrealistic pressure to at home workers to account for every minutuea of their day.

We can gum up their works big time if we all - REFUSE to edit VR unless unionized.

[ In Reply To ..]
After all - what are they gonna do? Have their little friends in India start editing VR?

Already do - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
I won't do it.

So how can we go about making sure every MT in - America is reading MT Stars? nm

[ In Reply To ..]
?

And therein lies the rub so to speak. How DO we get notice to all US MTs, or at least - those of us at MedQ that unioninzation is an optio

[ In Reply To ..]
I would not even know where to start?

We could go all Norma Rae (of course as a MT, I first typed NORMAL) on their butts and get cardboard placards with UNION on them, stand on street corners and hopefully catch some passing MTs!!

A union could start pushing for NO OFFSHORING - of American medical records.

[ In Reply To ..]
I say "UNION, YES"!

Union - oldMT

[ In Reply To ..]
It is true. UNION, YES!!!

A union is a voice for its members. If ever workers - needed a voice right now, its MTs!!!

[ In Reply To ..]
We need a big enough, loud enough voice to out-shout AHDI, too. Let's shout them right out of the picture!

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