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Another great article - about crappy MT pay

Posted: Sep 12, 2012

From the magazine "For the Record."

http://www.fortherecordmag.com/archives/091012p22.shtml

quote from that article regarding Transcend lawsuit - Des

[ In Reply To ..]
"The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant ramifications for MTs, says Jay Vance, CMT, CHP, of Superior Global Solutions, an outsourcing company in Plano, Texas. â��Up until this point, as long as the transcriptionists are willing to sit back and take whatever is given to them in terms of compensation and working conditions, then thatâ��s the way itâ��s going to be. But now that a group of people have actually taken a stand and said, â��We donâ��t believe that this practice is right, ethical, or legal,â�� now all of a sudden, everybody in the industry is waiting to see whatâ��s going to happen,â�� he says."

quotes from that article regarding compensation - Des

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"Quality also should play a larger role in compensation, says the MT who wished to remain anonymous."

"Some MTs believe those who work on multiple accounts per day should receive extra compensation for their flexibility and versatility. Others believe they should be paid more for working on weekends and holidays or when working overtime on reports that are more difficult to transcribe."

"Another suggestion is for employers to consider the accuracy of speech recognition technology when setting line rates." ... "Likewise, MTs could earn more money for editing documents produced by difficult dictators and less for those who speak clearly."

"Compensation should incorporate all tasks that MTs perform, such as checking e-mails, reviewing quality assurance reports, and researching demographics, Nicholls says."

To the original poster, thank you for sharing this article with us! - Des

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nm

Thank you for posting - great article

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This is a great article that brings to light the challenges MTs have been experiencing. The one thing that I don't understand is that MTSOs still don't understand fair compensation. I believe in the article it was quoted that $14 per hour wouldn't be unresonable compensation for an MT. I don't think that is right. I used to make more than $20 per hour, and even though my pay has been significantly cut, I can usually make more than $14 per hour on production.

I agree with you... - sm

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I could easily average 24 to 30 an hour before speech rec. Now, I average 12 to 17. I think 14 is TOO LOW based on the facts that they point out, that speech rec requires the same skill set. I think starting pay might be 14, but that MTs with over 10 years experience should be well over 20!

I think that is combined with an incentive pay, or line rate - sm

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That's what I got out of it. I know the local hospital here still pays a base hourly wage and a line rate/incentive on top of that, which equates to a very fair wage. Those MTs never quit and the jobs go fast if they retire, etc. I used to average 30/hour based on a very nice per line rate. I didn't even have to work 40 hours to come out making twice as much 4 years ago as I do now. Well, back to work for me. Have a good day.

Thank you for posting this. - NM

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x

Do you know what is sickening about the MT responses? - Whatever

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There was quote after quote of these women who had been in the industry for a long time who were "thankful" to be getting minimum wage. They are what is wrong and why this has turned into a job comparable to working at 7-11. No, it is NOT OKAY that I make less than 50% of what I did 10 years ago. Good grief. This is why I am getting out of MT altogether. I'm on track in the R.N. program and I'm so glad that Human Anatomy-101 hurts sooooo bad. Because it is better than this APPALLING and cowardly response. No man would ever say that. I don't think women should either.

I agree. No man would accept what women have been trained to - accept. And MTSo counts on this. nm

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s

Nope. Greedy business owners are what is wrong. sm - greedsux

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In fact, all the greedy business people are what is wrong. They aren't satisfied with living comfortably...they desire to be mega-rich. Not just in MT, but in most businesses these days. Greed. No concern for all the people they are bankrupting. Just Greed and more Greed.

We actually had a business owner in a nearby town who comes out and states this himself. So, what does he do? Does he practice what he preaches? He shares his profits with his employees. He says he is quite comfortable. He has a conscious. Makes him happy and makes his people the most loyal work force in the state. He does this every year.

Women willing to accept minimum wage are not the problem. MTSOs would just go offshore if nobody would work for them.

great article.. - but will they listen...nope

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Its all about greed, as previously stated in the replies. It is a great article, however, when they state what we can do about our wages....how many of us have gone to HR and higher up than that and voiced our opinions about our wages or lost a job b/c of things being shifted over to India and could only find a job making what we were making years ago, instead of being compensated for our experience in the field. If it happens anymore, compensation for experience, I would like to know where. I was promised a sign on when I came back to Nuance, as well as after my 90 days I would get a pay increase, now nearly 2 years later with them I am making the same as what I was making (line rate) 5 years ago when I last worked with them...only my paycheck itself has dropped. I never received a sign on bonus and the excuse for that was just that, an excuse. I didn't work all of my required shift and I couldn't, I had no work and there was not enough work to make up my work on other shifts. I want out of all this VR and I am having a problem finding a job that doesn't have anything to do with VR at all. I made more money working straight type than VR. To me, VR is more involved and should not be paid half of what straight type is paid. I have expressed that numerous of times. I have also expressed that b/c I am constantly placed on the H accounts "b/c you can do the work" I should be paid more than those working on the easier accounts w/ little to no ESLs...I was ignored. To be in this position for well over a decade, now making less than ever before, it is a shame. I love my job, the pay just stinks. On my account, I am lucky if I am averaging 10.00 an hour, where I used to average 20+ an hour. It is all about money, hospitals outsource to MTSOs to save money, the MTSO then outsources to India or other countries to further save money and this leaves the highly skilled US based MTs (that are needed mind you) barely scrapping the surface in pay. Unfair is hardly the word for it!!!

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