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My question is why are you against them?  My husband is a union member and we have good family benefits plus he gets a very decent wage.  Granted, he hasn't been a member very long, about 1 year plus, but so far everything seems good.  Yes, unions are political, but so is everything else today.  There are lobbyists for everything in Washington and as the saying goes "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours".  But at least unions are there to protect their workers, or so it goes in theory.  US MTs have no protection whatsoever and our profession as we know it is on its way to becoming obsolete.

On this MT site alone, post after post is negative and it's mostly about MTSO's and the way they treat their workers who make them $ - US.  I've been an at-home MT for about 3-1/2 years now and previous to that worked in-house.  I work for a well known national and when I first started it was good - I was making really good $, more than I did in-house, had a great supervisor, good accounts, and they always gave us opportunities for bonuses that you could actually make some $ on.  My sup even sent me a B-day card and a Xmas card by snail-mail  and in her own handwriting no less!  The good times lasted for about 1-1/2 years and it has all been downhill ever since.  With the combination of ILP and ASR, the transcription industry is going down the tubes and FAST.  The big fear in the past was hospitals outsourcing and in-house MTs losing their jobs.  That fear became a reality as more and more hospitals realized they could save $ by outsourcing a portion, if not all, their work.  Now today the fear is outsource companies outsourcing overseas (kind of funny when you think about it - outsourcing company outsourcing) and machines taking the place of humans, again MTs losing their jobs.  When will it end?  We can come on here and post our frustration and moan and groan, but what is that really going to accomplish.  Some may think (and hope) that MTSOs read this board and our e-mails and suddenly one day the light will come shining down from the heavens and the angels will sing because the MTSOs will finally come to their senses as to how rotten they have been to us, their loyal worker bees, and will shower us with praise and gifts of gold and $.  Well, to those MTs who think this way, WAKE UP.  MTSOs do not care about us.  They may say they do, but they know that right at this moment in time they still need us.  ASR and ILP are not as efficient as they need to be to get the job done correctly at dirt cheap rates, but it is only a matter of time before they become dominant and transcription as we know it is in the archive books.  MTSOs main objective is to make the most $ and pay out as little as they can get away with.  They chip away little by little - sending more accounts overseas, cutting rates, reorganizing to fit their needs but not taking into consideration how it affects the MT.  They are business people doing what business people do by trade and they are accomplishing what they are setting out to do - make the most $ and pay out the least.  So what are MTs supposed to do to protect our professional trade?  Voicing our opinions, whether it be here on this board or by e-mail or phone, isn't going to change a thing.  Maybe it's time to get proactive and actually DO something rather than complain or just up and quit and then the MTSOs can say they HAVE to have ILPs and ASR because there aren't enough qualified US MTs.  I for one would be interested in seeing a union or other organization be formed to protect the US MT industry from it's downfall, but I wouldn't know where to start.  If nothing is done now, I'm afraid that in 10 years or less my job as I know it will be a part of history.  If anyone has any other proactive ideas, please post them.  I'm sure there are plenty of MTs who would be willing to join a group venture to protect our profession.

I am a brand new employee, so don't feel comfortable in this situation. 

TIA 

and how about radiology by the report?  I have searched the archives and am just getting more and more confused.  I have worked in house for 15 years and do all the big four and radiology.  I made $15.67 per hour until we were eliminated on Friday.  What is the average?  I am medium fast, about 200 lines an hour or 15 radiology reports an hour.

Can anyone just give me an idea?  It seems that the services are all over the place in terms of rates. 

After a sandwich for lunch I wanted something sweet but didn't want a big dessert or anything so I decided to just get a cinnamon hard candy. Well I must have taken in a breath as I was putting it in my mouth and it went straight down my throat. It was lodged in part way down. I could breath but was REALLY scared. I don't know what I was thinking but I tried to make myself throw up. OH MY what if it would have got stuck coming back up!!! Probably not a bright idea, but I wasn't thinking straight. Well the gagging must have made it go further down because the feeling isn't as bad and it feels further down, unless that is just a feeling from it going down. Right now I am just going to assume that it is still in there but further down. HOPING it will dissolve. Do you guys think if I drink hot tea or something like that it might help dissolve it quicker? I'm kind of afraid to drink anything (definitely won't eat anything for a while!!!). Anyone ever had this happen or heard of it happening to anyone???

I have had my days with horrible dictors, and today I have a dream dictor, could no thave been happier to get her and my fingers do not work.  I can't seem to type anything correctly. lol.  Thank goodness I proof my work before sending - thank goodness for spellcheckers and grammar checkers - cause I suck today lol

Does anybody else have that kind of day - or is it just me? Now be nice lol

Do you find that it irritates you probably more than it should to see errors in the newspaper, etc.?  I mean, something that will be read by so many people should be proofread to perfection, don't you think?  They seem to just jump out at me and I know I'm more critical since I am an MT.  How about you?

Verizon DSL has 2 plans a "starter plan" with 768 Kbps/128 Kbps and a "power plan" with 3 Mbps/768 Kbps.  This all means nothing to me .  It might as well be in another language.  Is the "starter plan" enough for VR work or do I need the expensive "power plan"?

Thanks

Documented a bunch of stuff.  First job contact was bizarre.  Second one was lukewarm with one really offensive aspect.  If you email me I can pass some info to you...it's rather cumbersome for the board. 

I'm wondering if anyone has the same problem I'm having with Chartscript.  I have never worked in Chartscript before, and my new primary account is in Chartscript. This is a brand-new account for my company (I work for a small MTSO), and they are pretty clueless with Chartscript and with Instant Text so are no help to me on this issue.

I don't know if it is my Instant Text that is causing the problems that I'm having.  Sometimes when I'm in Chartscript, I'll use a heading from my Instant Text in the document.  Then when I go to the next heading to insert it from Instant Text, it will copy the previous heading that I've just inserted.  Also, sometimes if I have just copied and pasted something, it will insert that rather than the Instant Text entry that I am trying to insert into the document.  It is SO aggravating and time-consuming!!

Also, Chartscript is so slow!  It's like it can't keep up with my typing, but it happens even if I'm just trying to highlight something in the document or delete something.... it is so cumbersome it seems!!  Is it ME, or is this something that other MTs have problems with also in Chartscript.  Need some feedback please!

I live about 100 miles west of Chicago--think I'll look and see if there is a glow in the sky!  Great win--Just wish my dad was alive to see it.

I tried posting this on the state boards but there is no activity there, so I am posting here.

Thinking about moving to Arizona next year.  Somewhere around the Goodyear, Surprise, Litchfield Park area.  Love Estrella Ranch but it is just a tad too pricey for what we want to spend.  Anybody from Arizona care to share if there are other communities similar to Estrella Ranch?  Where are the best schools for high school and middle school?  good, bad and ugly would be great. 

Thanks

Honestly, which is better?  As far as job market, earnings, and essential functions of the job? 

I have always received my dictation thru Wav files.  However I needed to download Express Scribe for one file and this became my default file.  How can i change it so when i get e-mails with my work it wil automatically go to Wav file format

thanks

Trying to cut down expenses here and was wondering if anyone has satelite TV with a cable modem.

I cut back on my cable channels to $101 from $160 a month for the combination TV and modem a year or so ago, but I'm still hurting. One company is offering $35 a month for a year, then it would be $60 after that. My idea is that it would give me a few extra $$ in my pocket for that year and hopefully, we could get back on our feet by the time the regular cost kicks in.

Any suggestions? TIA.

I type ortho all day. So for some reason, just for fun???? I decided to give myself a Phalen's test.  (If you aren't familiar, Google it and you will find tons of info, picutres and instructions) Yow, I did not feel it at first but now I am all tingly in the palm and ulnar nerve distribution in my hand.  Probably not a good thing to do when you still have to type another hour. 

Don't try this at home....or at least when you want good use of your hands. Guess I need to review my ergonomic, or not so ergonomic, positioning of my equipment. 

I just started a job using voice files and not a dictaphone as before.  I tried every set of earphones in the tower part of the computer that has a space for earphones next to the space for the footpedal.  I only out of one ear.  Is there another place to plug them in or what earphones do you use.   These earphones are made for this. 

Impression

1.  Is depression.

2.  Is anxiety.

UGH!!!!

How can I copy Word 2003 from one computer to the other.  I want to have it on both computers.  Thanks so much for your help.

Can I also use 1 monitor, 1 keyboard, 1 mouse and 2 hard drives, one being Vista and other being XP. 

Thanks for your help.

While the queue was empty, I logged in to my public library's audiobook section and found an audiobook called The Law of Attraction, which I downloaded for free and started listening to.  It contains tips and secrets on how to attract good things into our lives, which would include abundance and positive experiences in every area of life....  I also found links online to free worksheets and all kinds of stuff.  Here is a you tube link to explain more about what I'm referring to here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoGCaLul8ms

I can understand U.S. companies wanting to cut costs and make a profit, and that of course is why they offshore.  Even though it's at a huge cost to American workers.  Which of course ultimately hurts the overall economy, because displaced workers have much less money to spend on goods & services, etc. 

Offshoring isn't likely to be outlawed (though I sure wish it were, especially when it comes to sensitive records, such as financial and medical records!)  But don't you think that if the U.S. is going to allow companies to send work offshore, those companies should have to pay a pretty hefty TAX for that privilege?  

Here in Calif., our infrastructure such as roads, bridges, school system, fire and police departments, etc. is crumbling, and always needs more money.  So of course they continue to raise taxes on us working-class people - the same ones whose jobs are going offshore!  They get a little from the Lottery, and a little more from Indian casinos, who are paying the state for the privilege of running gambling casinos in a state where gambling casinos aren't legal!  There is a tax on liquor and tobacco.  All of those things aren't really good for people, and should be taxed.

Well, offshoring work away from hard-working, middle-class Americans isn't good for people, either!  So don't you think companies should be encouraged to keep their work onshore by a TAX that would not only help each state in this country pay for things, but also remove the huge profits those companies make by taking good jobs away from Americans?  Maybe that money could even be used to save our failing Social Security system.          

After noticing the number of questions being posted about Express Scribe, I thought the link to a discussion board regarding NCH products might be helpful.

Hi all...

For those of you who have been doing this awhile, what have you found to be the best practice for avoiding back pain while sitting? Should your arms be resting while you type, or should they dangle by your sides?

Also, can anyone recommend a good chair for sitting for long periods of time?

TIA 

There is no work on the account they were just hired for.  Explain that one.