Minimum wage only applies to employees.

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You have hit on a point that the service owners did not plan for.  Pursue this with the DOL office in your state:

USMLSU Initiative
Washington,  DC

ONLINE, REAL-TIME CONFERENCE CALLS/MEETINGS BEING SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF 2009 !

Respect, reasonable compensation, and humane treatment for all U.S.A. Medical Transcriptionists

You cannot by law make less than minimum wage.  If you are making less than minimum wage I would tell the company, they have to make up the difference.  If they don't then you should call the labor board.

worked under 40/wk if employee in the U.S., regardless of work type, job description.  In addition, must be PAID FOR ALL WORK PERFORMED - I won't even go there.

Att: Flamers: You can look this up yourself in DOL regulations.

Regardless of all the bull dished out by the MTSO companies, especially as it pertains to VR, i.e., We're cutting your pay 50%, so you'll have to work twice as hard - but you're going to LOVE the platform.  Also get tired of hearing about Learning Curve and wonder if my grocer, landlord & hungry kids understand this learning curve concept. 

However (and the MTSOs can like this or lump it) WE MUST BE PAID FEDERALLY-MANDATED MINIMUM WAGE for workers with employee status - whether straight typing, VR or being required to babysit computer during no/low work.  Of course, it's exploitation to cut wages in half from an already insultingly low rate & most MTs are surely feeling the pinch.  But whether 2, 3, 4 or 10 cpl ... minimum wage must be paid.  (Sorry Suits/MTSOs - the law is there for a reason!)

you know, the one they use when they don't want to come right out and say you're terminal:

DON'T BUY ANY GREEN BANANAS!

I am tired of seeing postings or ads that say IC but want you to work a certain shift.

As far as asking for extra coverage, just tell them you will do your best.  No IC should have to adhere to a strict schedule or provide extra coverage on weekends or nights unless the said company would like to offer an incentive. 

Some say this job is 24/7, and while I agree, that does not equate to abuse of an IC!!!! 

Once you are totally off training and being paid only by your line rate (cpl), your pay will be based on your two week, total lines typed  (cpl x total lines typed).  The only time lines per hour would affect you is if you qualify for a bonus.  I do not know what MT Level you are (3 or 4), but I believe Level 4 bonus starts after 150 lines per hour.  If you qualify, don't try to figure the bonus out.  It will drive you crazy.  Just be happy to see a bonus in your check! 

In NY minimum wage is now $7.15, so that is not min wage here either.

I thought I had read something recently that stated Nuance/Focus was developing some software that would completely do away with transcriptionists in the next few years.  I worked for Focus 5 years ago and they were a terrible company then to work for, I see they have just kept getting worse.  You are entitled to minimum wage if you are an employee. If your line count does not come to that contact your local DOL and apply for unemployment benefits.  if you don't you are hurting yourselves and other MTs who come after you.

The most you can expect to make at Medware is 0.08 a line.   Medware has some extremely difficult accounts with a lot of ESL doctors.  It is very hard to make a good line count.  Additionally, Medware watches how many minutes you work during the day.  You must work a full 8-hour shift.  If you have problems and need to call your supervisor, need to email your supervisor, create samples or go over files from the editors, have a problem with pay or vacation time or anything similiar, you will do it on your time.  You have to put in your 8 hours TYPING, nothing else counts.