Rural Metro contract expires

gatekeeper wrote:

big deal, new york corrections officers have been without a contract for 15 months

Actually it is a big deal. There's more going on than meets the eye right now and I don't believe R/M's statements of everything being "status-quo." If that was the case then would they really be worried about a strike contingency? Things like this don't just happen b/c a few people get irked by management. It happens when an entire workforce is tired of being treated like they are an uneducated group of replaceable drones. Please don't compare apples to oranges - the whole story isn't out yet...

WTG BUFFALO wrote:

Maybe, just MAYBE, scummy Rural Metro will be sold to Twin City & we can all rest peacefully knowing that if something does occur & we need their services, they will be there in under 30 minutes! I swear, I can get a pizza delivered before Rural Metro gets to my house if I call for help! Let them go, it will be no great loss to the city or any suburb still stupid enough to use them!

BEING involved with the VoL ent. fire Co.s in the south towns for close to 50 years I Know for a fact some of the vol. people know as much as R.M. people and may have had more expereance than thr R m people have had, ONE thing that gets ME DR. HYMRICK get to tell the world about how to stop somebody from chocking in 1967? well how about a man named AL. FISHER, in the HIGH LAND HOSE FIRE CO [DERBY NEW YORK } back in 1958? he instructed a bunch of first aid people on how to do the SAMETHING over 20 years befor hymrick was even talked about.[ FACT LOOK UP THE 100 OR MORE PEOPLE MR> FISHER TOUGHT>} IF YOU NEED ADDRESS LOOK UP HIGHLAND hose fire co DERBY new york 14047/ I am sure their are still some that went through his courses I was 1 and at 11 years old I was able to help a woman give birth to a very pretty little girl and IF it was not for AL FISHER OF DERBY N.Y. I would NOT have been able to do what had to be done.

Why dosent someone ask the Union when they started to talk. We are being lead down a wrong road by our own Union. I need my job and will be at work to support my family. R/M may not be the best job on the street but it's a job for now. Just be glad you don't work for a auto maker or steel co. Wake up people.

firefiter-emt wrote:

Why dosent someone ask the Union when they started to talk. We are being lead down a wrong road by our own Union. I need my job and will be at work to support my family. R/M may not be the best job on the street but it's a job for now. Just be glad you don't work for a auto maker or steel co. Wake up people.

You are so misinformed...its scares me...obviously you havent been to a single meeting

Shouldn't this be a public entity, like police and fire ??? This is what happens when vital public services are privatized ...

By the way, call the meat wagon my son just got bitten by a garden snake!!!

firefiter-emt wrote:

Why dosent someone ask the Union when they started to talk. We are being lead down a wrong road by our own Union. I need my job and will be at work to support my family. R/M may not be the best job on the street but it's a job for now. Just be glad you don't work for a auto maker or steel co. Wake up people.

AS an old VOL. fire fighter and first aider / and a AUTO WORKER all I can tell you in this day and age " DON'T BEND OVER THERE IS NO SAFE JOB anywhere WE are under a BIG BUS. country and what ever CORPERATE AMERICA says WILL BE DONE you don't have a say in it . LETS KEEP VOTING IN BIG BUS< { the REPUBLICAN PARTY] AND we can keep getting it shoved up our a-- and all the BILLIONAIRES will keep getting the tax cuts and LOL at the avg. STUPID AMERICAN. YES THE MAJORITY of the people are STUPID and we are letting these BILLIONAIRES take our money and we won't stand up and say it is time to STOP we are sick of this [ old " BUBBA" left office with over 300billion serplus and with in 2 yeaRS WE WENT INTO A trillion DOLLAR DEBT. sorry FOR GETTING OFF THE SUBJECT BUT BIG buss< WILL GET WHAT THEY WANT look at AM. AX. then give their C.E.O. 8,5 Million $$ bonus.

EMTBuffalo, you have my support and sympathy regarding those who abuse the ambulance services for minor things.

I use to do medicaid billing at one of the hospitals in Buffalo. It really surprised me how so many people would abuse the ER for a child having sniffles, a colicky baby, teen w/the flu, oh and my favorite during spring break at the colleges next door---my significant other might have given me an STD and I want to be tested NOW or I need a pregnancy test NOW....ever hear of going to the clinic or getting a cheap home pregnancy test at the dollar store.

I remember one time the ambulance brought in a pregnant girl to the L&D, they left her in her room and when the RN went in to do the paper work she was gone!!! They searched everywhere to find her and come to find out that she just needed a ride to rehab on the 3rd floor!!! That really ticked everybody off.

Why can't these folks be held accountable like the working middle class who have health insurance. If it's not an emergency we have to pay the entire bill. Why can't NY state have the same rules for these folks who sit on their butt and pop out over 6 kids. If they abuse the ER, why can't they pay the entire bill? I mean they have all this gold jewelry on them, nice sneakers, cell phones to look important, nice clothing, etc. if they can afford that why can't they pay for something they know they are abusing.

I know for a fact these folks have a $3.copay for clinics and ER visits but we usually had to write it off b/c they'd call us and complain about it. Do you know how much money the hospitals in Buffalo would have if they did the right thing and paid. We need changes NOW but the politicians are all talk. They know what needs to be done but they'd rather fill their pockets. sigh.......

Best of luck to you EMT.:)

The system is broke,& has been 22yrs ago when I started we had our abusers & worked for min wage.The only way to pay your bills was working 70-80hr weeks.Our cars were literly falling apart around us.Change needs to come from higher than R/M.N.Y.state best in the nation for welfare.Calls need to be better screened & leave the B/S calls waiting for a couple hrs.Also mandate copays on AMB transports & E.D. visits(deducted right from their check).R/M needs to think about its people not the corporate BOTTOM LINE.Instead of nice offices & in car camera's(this isnt nascar).?????? Maybe take better care of your people instead of MANDATING already overworked crews.Remember Dick(oops Rich)you can be replaced by corporate the same way you got your job.MORE POWER TO YOU R/M CREWS YOUR DAY WILL COME. Things were better back then quit your job in the morning & have a new one by lunch. Not having an industry manipulated by one companies corporate GREED. Bring back Jimmy,Joe & Doug

Maybe AMR.or A company that cares.

firefiter-emt wrote:

Why dosent someone ask the Union when they started to talk. We are being lead down a wrong road by our own Union. I need my job and will be at work to support my family. R/M may not be the best job on the street but it's a job for now. Just be glad you don't work for a auto maker or steel co. Wake up people.

Wow. Where have you been for the past several months? You're not the only one with a family and bills to pay. Now's not the time to throw rocks at each other.

firefiter-emt wrote:

Why dosent someone ask the Union when they started to talk. We are being lead down a wrong road by our own Union. I need my job and will be at work to support my family. R/M may not be the best job on the street but it's a job for now. Just be glad you don't work for a auto maker or steel co. Wake up people.

The Union started talking last fall. You would know that if you attended meetings.

To firefiter-emt:

Even though I find your comment ignorant, I shouldn't have snapped, my apologies. NYS Medic is right, we shouldn't fight each other. However, by saying what you did, you insult the Union, the Negotiating team, and all the employees who have attended the meetings and have been voting on the company's proposals. I recommend that you call the Union, they are very approachable. Tell them your concerns. I'm sure they will respond helpfully. I called the other day, the secretary set me up with my area steward he went over the proposals with me. Obviously they can only share the information that both parties have agreed to, everything else is confidential or whatever, but all you have to do is ask. If you sit in corners or lurk online and do nothing but mutter, I have no sympathy for you and I don't want to hear your uneducated opinion. Democracy only works if you vote. This company thrives off from ignorance, its time to stop the cycle. Get INVOLVED!

I am very grateful that there are people like the EMT's and Paramedics at Rural Metro. When the October ice storm hit and the streets were filled with downed trees...they were out their driving, climbing over tree limbs, struggling to get to the calls.
When that Buffalo Bills player Kenny Everett was so severly injured, they worked with the Bills Dr's and obviously did a marvellous job getting him safely off the field and to the hospital.
Every winter I see them sitting waiting for calls in freezing cold weather, crampt in the front of the ambulances and in the summer, I see them parked on the hot blacktop, waiting for calls.
I am sorry, but I wouldn't leave my dog outsife like that! The ambulance companies don't seem to care about the employees....they do a marvelous job and I thank God that there are people out there like them. I only hope that this company starts paying them a decent wage soon and treats them better than I treat my dog!
Sorry for rambling, old age setting in!

I second what old time medic wrote. I would go back to Jean and Joe in a heart beat. We were getting minumum wage, working in junk ambulances, and had no benefits, but I loved every minute of it. Jean and Joe cared about us and treated us like people. I would just like to note, if you read these comments the only ones that seem to mention pay are what seems to me from people who arent working there or havent in the past. Its not about pay its about fair and humanly treatment unfair workrules, unethical practices, mandating people to work 60-80 work weeks and a contract with to many loopholes that are exploited by the company everyday.

gatekeeper wrote:

big deal, new york corrections officers have been without a contract for 15 months

How much do you make per hour as a corrections officer? Do you know that some Mighty Taco employees make MORE then some EMT's?? Do you also know that the city of Buffalo implemented a living wage agreemnt with corporations who work in the city & Rural / Metro refuses to abide by what the city stated the MINIMUM pay must be?? Basically I am asking do you have any clue as to what is going on?

One more thing... Rural / Metro IS NOT negotiatiing with Teamsters Local 375. They sat down, offered a ridiculous proposal, the Teamsters counter-offered & Rural / Metro's 'negotiating' man Todd Walker left. That's it, done, refusing to talk anymore. So before you believe what you are hearing on the news, get the real story.They are NOT talking with us but they are making nasty comments. Do you know what one of metro's HR men said?? Direct quote from Adin Bradley called EMS providers a "bunch of uneducated retards". This is the compnay that does not think your life is worth anything.

OLDE TIME MEDIC wrote:

Maybe AMR.or A company that cares.

Unfortunately, AMR has had some issues of it's own. Closing shop is one that has happened a few times down south.

There are many more issues then what Rural / Metro is saying on the news. Why don't you ask them how many times they 'drop' an ambulance instead of staffing it. Better yet, ask Buffalo fire how many times on a DAILY basis they are told by fire dispatch they do not have an ambulance for the EMS call they are responding too. Ask Cheektowaga fire why they do not have ambulances in town & how Rural / Metro VIOLATES the contract with the town on a daily basis.

Todd Walker, the Rural / Metro negotiator has said many times he does not care about the 911 system. This means if your baby isn't breathing or your grandmother has chest pain - so what? He cares more about the private calls and guaranteed pays. So, believe you me, there is much more then the tale Jay Smith is telling on the news.

As far as the union... before you start throwing stones, know the facts. Ask a union rep or call Teamsters office. I'm sure they would be more then happy to fill you in on what has been and is being done.

NEED A MIRACLE wrote:

<quoted text>I am a er nurse and I cannot agree more. These medics from rural metro do a great job and alot is wasted on toothaches, std checks, my foot hurts for a month. They deserve a big raise spend a day with them and see what they do. The nurses are 100% behind you. Don't stop until you get what you want!!!!!

thank you for the support!!!

AEMT Lady wrote:

Just like to add my few cents...Firstly, thank you to our communities for already showing support, we will need you to get through this. Secondly, to my fellow employees, some food for thought, did you know a certain member of upper management was overheard in the hallway recently saying, we are "unskilled labor" who can be "easily replaced". Just thought you should know.....

haha, yea, replaced with more city minorites in the next few byron kids classes, opps im sorry, i meant to say Rural Metro Training Academt Cadets.. anyway, id like to know which fine person from upper management would say such a thing like that? if u dont want to say the name on here, that fine, initals of the person would do... but if i can take a guess at it... it sounds like somethin adin would say... am i right? if not, him and the rest of them will all gets theres someday.... payback is a b.i.t.c.h.!!!

gatekeeper wrote:

big deal, new york corrections officers have been without a contract for 15 months

Buffalo Firefighters have been without one for close to six years

The problem has been mgt or lack there of. Mgt needs to be replaced with educated staff; not bubba and his goones. Get mgt that can lead by example and not do as we want and you might have something. As for the money this is shameful, emt's making less then someone pushing a broom. These people are exposed to everything, AIDS, TB, HEP, A, B, C, ect....Drive ambulances that have 350,000 miles on them, for what $9.70 an hour? What kind of raise did they offer. You to would be insulted. You can't even by a phone call or a gum ball for what they offered. Oh yeah, we didn't get a brand new take home car like a certin GM did. Great Job! You have final done it! Put a true screwing to the employees. Wait till they pay back your wonderful deeds...