Let's start with a one-day strike!
Posted By: MTPockets on 2007-04-23
In Reply to: Well going up against corporate suits - Animal Freak
That will show them who makes the money. All the degrees in the world won't help if they can't transcribe. They want to cut the throats of the very people who slave to make the money for them. I think if we all agreed on a one-day work stoppage, they might get the message. If not, next time, 2 days. Just a suggestion. I don't know if it would accomplish anything, but we would get out point across!
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Let's go on strike.
Bombard the board of directors with our complaints. We need to be heard!
Go on strike???
That will just give them more reasons to ship the work all overseas because those people are so "grateful" to have the jobs. The company won't be hurting, but we will when we don't have any money coming in to pay the bills.
on strike
All I know is about 10 years ago, I made what I considered "good" money working for a small company (for a year). THEN, the company was bought by a corporation (which shall remain nameless) and our salaries dropped by 1/3 to 1/2 -- and there was just a helpless feeling of not knowing what to do about it. What do you do when it's a take it or leave it attitude? I always wondered if it is so cheap to do work overseas, what isn't any of that savings coming back to the American MT. Give us a raise with all that savings. I also wonder why they act like they think it is considered a benefit of the job to work at home. Look at all they must save on having us do that. None of us have raised a fuss, so they can get away with just about anything. What does AAMT exist for?
strike
I can't agree more. It is the large corporations like MQ who have the reputation of hiring MTs at a very low line rate, hire more MTs than they can provide work for and then still have the nerve to overbill the clients. Go figure.
on strike
You are so right in all that you say. I've been a rad trans for 30 years and I've watched the pay scales go down instead of up. I truly wish there were something we as a group could do to fight the corporations. And to add insult to injury, some companies advertising for rad trans are paying by the report! Anybody who does transcription and gets paid per report is only encouraging this trend. Yes, I know, you have to work to live but if everyone stopped working for places like this and held out for a better position, we might all be better off. Pay per report is a slap in the face. I work for a teaching hospital on the west coast and often times transcribe 10-12 page neurointerventional reports. And I'd be farther ahead to get paid $1.50 for the report? Give me a big fat break.
I'm in for a 1 day strike
I'm not unhappy with my job - but am disgusted with what has happened to transcription. If we can get enough involved - I do believe that it would have an affect or is it effect (LOL). Let those making the money figure that one out for a day.
so when are we going to go on strike?
nm
strike
There's nothing selfish about demanding a living wage, and there's certainly nothing selfish about organizing your fellow employees so that they can all reap the benefits of a living wage as well. If we let the current troubles beat us into submission, and then we let the good times lull us into submission...when exactly *do* we ask for what we need?
20 years as an MT - now I am on strike...sm
After 20+ years as an IC I have seen my salary go down, down, down! Not because my speed has decreased, no, it has in fact increased dramatically due to the availability of shorthand programs. No, my salary has gone since the inception of AAMT and their "standards" and practices. The organization that was going to help MT's become more respected has done the opposite. Yes, there were doctors out there who initially thought of me as a "typist" but I quickly showed them the difference between a typist and a "medical transcriptionist" (medical language specialist). Some of them were unwilling to pay for the difference, but most were pleased to pay a bit more for someone who knew when he was making a mistake and was willing to call and get it right. Today, however, the large MT companies have driven the IC out of business. They offer 4-hour turn around at ridiculously low rates. Many of these companies outsource to India, Pakistan, the Philippines, etc. Some of the outsourced work is done perfectly. Most is not. I am hearing this from office managers who cannot convince the business owners that it is "cheaper" to have the transcription done correctly the first time rather than have more time (money) spent doing QA.
Most of my work has been for large radiology clinics. Conglomerates that own upwards of 100 to 200 radiology clinics across the country own these clinics. The bottom line with management is the "bottom line". Their bonuses and hefty salaries are dependent on keeping costs down...therefore cheap transcription is a "must".
Finally, the reason for the steady decrease in salaries for MT's is the availability of cheap foreign and (yes!) American labor. MT's in this country are becoming more desperate and accepting the lower line rates. Yes, of course you need to in order to pay for food, etc. However, if ever there was a time for us to organize a "strike" this is the time. It will never happen, however, because we are too busy just getting by. And where has the AAMT been during this time (in particular the last ten years when salaries have been eroding the fastest)? They have been telling us the "proper" way to do transcription. In the "good old days" if we did not transcribe correctly we were fired. If we used poor grammar, we were fired. That simple! Meanwhile this group (AAMT) purporting to be working to benefit MT's has instead been working to benefit themselves. They benefit themselves by touting their CE courses and the need for us all to become CMT's, that we can only do through their courses and their tests. None of which are free.
No, I am not an AAMT hater. I hate the hypocrisy of the AAMT. I hate the fact that experience counts for naught in this field. I hate the fact that the moment corporate America realized that medical transcription was an income producing product mostly male executives realized that they could take over with large companies, offer work at a much lower price than an individual could, and force the medical Transcriptionist to work at the prices they foist on us. That is what I have seen over the past twenty years.
Don't bother flaming me for telling you what I have seen. Most of the flamers will be from large corporations or IC's who have accepted their fate. Yes, you are making good money typing thousands of lines a day at a few pennies each line. Yes, you pay your bills doing so. I am not putting you down for doing so. What I am saying is that over the past 20 years the medical transcription field has changed (been hijacked by large corporations) and as such the bottom line is "how cheap can we get the transcription done". Such is corporate America. Get it done cheap or someone else will get the contract.
So, what am I suggesting? I don't know for sure. Perhaps there is no answer for most transcriptionists other than to accept their fate. As for me, I am lucky enough to have an income so that I can go on "strike" until I find a job that pays me what I am worth. Or, until I go back to school to find another career! Which is the most likely course of action a lot of us will be taking no matter how much we love what we were doing.
If you have any useful insights I would love to hear them. Flamers will be ignored. 
I thought a strike would be more beneficial
but that has to be done by most everyone in order to work.
Tell you what - you strike and I'll make my
x
Are you ready to strike (with no income)
Is anyone willing to strike when an agreement is not met (higher wages, etc)? I doubt it. Most are living paycheck to paycheck as it is.
I hate to be a pessimist, and this will be my last post on this subject, but sad to say most of us can't even get along on this board, do you really think we could come together to form a union?
There was another post about someone trying and no one showing up. I guess they had to stay home and type... Good luck though... I truly mean that..
ABSOLUTELY I'm ready to strike!
MT's would be hard to unite, but that doesn't make it impossible.
ASR strikes again. When does the linguist strike??
This is what ASR put: AP lateral and oblique x-rays elected vision were obtained.
What doc actually dictated: AP lateral and oblique x-rays of the left 5th digit were obtained. 
Strike at this time is selfish
I think that during this hard time for the country, anyone who is going to strike, ie. kick and scream till they get what they want, are being selfish. There are SOOOO many unemployed right now and sooo many more running the risk as well. I understand not wanting to take cuts, etc. but face it people, that is what a lot of people in this country are resorting to because they have no other choice. Many, I am sure, would be HAPPY to have a job...and these people want to quit working till they get their way? And these people are the people who preach about patient care? - just my opinion
Have you ever been part of a hospital strike sm
I will tell you that I first-hand saw that out of a varied group of workers, the MTs were the FIRST and ONLY work group to cross the picket line to scab themselves for the money.
I didn't, but it was me and 2 other people out of 25 who stayed out. That is the reason unions and strikes do not work for transcriptionists. We have a majority who will sell everyone else down the river to put more money into their own pockets.
I laugh at the comedy board not at a strike.
then get off of the porch. You call this OP venting? Cut me a break. Sounds more like a cry for help. Why don't you all find a new profession instead of wanting everything handed to you on a silver platter. I find no humor in compromising patient care because someone wants to have a b***ch fit!!! 
A 2-day strike will not hurt patient care
it will give the physicians something to think about when they have to hand write their STAT H&P for patient's surgery tomorrow.
A macro shortcut requires that you strike 2 or more keys. nm
nm
Strike in Pakistan slowing down offshored work here. Just another example of offshore
:+
Lot's of people work for cheatin companies. They bide their time and strike when they can.
As for me, I have joined a class action law suit on behalf of shareholders and MTs. Double whammy. Not too dumb. By the way, don't you have some managing to do or are you on duty all day to try to make MTs think MQ is AOK and everything else going on around them financially is just a figment of their imagination. 
Well then, don't start at the beginning, start in
x
How about we start one? Here are a few ...
TransHealth - 0.08 - .10 per line. Employee status. Benefits. Does not offshore.
QED - 0.06 per line to start.
First Choice - 0.10 per line, IC only, no offshore.
Keystrokes - 0.08 per line, $1.08 for radiology to start. Both IC and Employee. No offshore.
TRX - up to 0.09 per line. IC only. Not sure on offshore.
does her first name start with an L and last name a T?
Hey, maybe they should start (sm)
a legal secretarial organization and screw that up for half a million people. They've done enough damage in this field.
I say start looking elsewhere...sm
but don't leave this job until you have something else. In the mean time, call these people and ask what the problem is. It could be something that they are unaware of. It happens to me all the time. And unfortunately, usually one e-mail or call to any company works. You have to be persistent. Get on the phone and call them and don't stop until you get a reply, and while you are waiting on work and a reply, start applying eslewhere. Good luck to you!
Start out with
having your lawyer send a letter asking for prompt payment to avoid legal action. That might just be enough. Plus, having your lawyer write a letter doesn't cost TOO much. If that doesn't get it then you will have to sue. I hope it doesn't come to that. Good luck!
Why don't you start
by calling the funeral home/director who handled the original burial. I am sure this will not be the first time he has dealt with this situation. If you don't want to deal with them, find a funeral home your are comfortable with to handle the arrangements.
I'm not trying to start anything, but (sm)
what would this organization do? I've never really understood what AAMT does/did and why I should be a member. How would AAMT or any new organization benefit the MT?
Start looking around...
My department has gone from 20+ to 3 in the last 2 years. In part due to voice recognition and the addition of EMR.
Hey! I know! Maybe you could start up your
own blog or something to cover all these big issues - you, the American MT. Oh, but that's right - you did that and its a dismal bomb. All 7 (?) people who agree with you can keep each other company, dissing everyone. The only thing I did like on your blog was the bag over your head. Quite appropriate. I remember you, too, as the one who thought it was just so precious when your kid was using your work computer and your Expanders kicked in. Yup, a real pro. Gotta run now and work - sure hope I don't forget my compound modifier hyphens...snicker...snicker.
Where to start?
How can I get an idea how much I want to deduct for the year, not what but how much money I should be trying to deduct or can. I need to get better prepared and deduct what I can this coming year.
Thanks in advance for your help!!
Everyone has to start somewhere.
My mom was an LPN for 30+ years and she came home one morning in tears. She (a devout christian) admitted to me (then just a little kid) couldn't believe how mean she was to a nurse's aid who was just starting out on HER floor. My mother's ego was bruised because this "kid" (even though she was a lady with kids, she still called her a "kid") had the same type of training my mother had but yet had a different initials on her name pin and my mother felt she had no business giving shots or doing something or other....it was so long ago I forget what the problem was.
My mother was so upset at her own behavior she vowed to take all the new people under her wing and show them not all people were bitter, and that we all have to start some place. It really did her heart good to do that. Now mind you, I'm not preaching here, because I'm an atheist (boy did that really frost dear old mom's patootie!), but I do belive in life's lessons.
Try not to be so hateful and bitter towards her. It sounds like you kinda already have her discounted before she's even had a chance to begin. You said it's a high-volume office, so maybe you could use the extra hand. Try, at least try, to be a little tolerant and kind is all I'm saying. 
start looking for another job
Longevity means nothing anymore in this business. I know a couple of people that this happened to. The first one was jerked around so much she finally just gave up when told to come back to the office to work, would have been over an hour drive each way for her. Another person is still hanging in there working at the office once a week. I think companies would rather jerk people around instead of firing them. Not saying this is what is going on in your case because I don't know all the circumstances. Maybe youve been with them too long, making too much money?? I had the heave-ho once myself for this same reason. It was obvious they were pushing and pushing until I finally gave up and left. The situation was very hostile and not one I wanted to stay in. Best of luck to you whatever you decide. With your 16+ years experience Im sure you would have no trouble picking up right where you left off somewhere else.
Seems like not right at the start but
when you are in the middle of a 10+ minute report. I will try the logging out and coming back. I will also try the other, just letting it set for a minute or so. I really appreciate the assistance!
it is a better start than most of us have here.....
but knowing anatomy and terminology will not be all you will need. Learning the equipment is also secondary.
first and foremost, you have to be able to type at a relatively quick speed if you want to make any money in this field. Second, you have to develop an ear for foreign accents, and that is what seems to be difficult for most.
Good luck in your pursuit. If you battled your way through enough school to be a dentist, you will find your way in this field as well. It is just not as easy as a lot of people seem to think it is.
Start with irs.gov and
The first 2 results are a start. I can't say if they're everything you can deduct, but it's a good start. Also, I've noticed a very common misconception on this board that only ICs can deduct home office, but the first sentence of the first result of that search says you may be able to take a home office deduction whether you are self-employed or an employee. Good news for the rest of us!
why don't you start nm
nm
Oh man, where do I start? SM
1. Space heater (in Winter) or fan (in Summer) at my feet, heating pad on my lap to warm my hands (all year long).
2. My Harley-Davidson mug with ice and three cans of Coke.
3. Chair must be centered in relation to the monitor and my butt has to be centered in the chair! It takes me at least 10 minutes to make these adjustments. My chair is always at the right height, in my house if you adjust mom's chair you DIE!
4.Back scratcher.
5.CNN or Headline News on in the background.
This question made me smile. All my years working in the office I have met more MTs than I can tell you that are so particular about their work space. God help you if you had to share a desk with one of them! Then you realize you ARE one of them! 
I got my start in OPs...
...exactly how the above poster states.
My supervisor had asked me if I could do a stat OP for her. She then quickly realized I had never done OPs before and was stuck finding an MT. I told her we were all new to OPs at one time and I still wanted to try at least to learn them. I used to send them to QA requesting full reads and corrections. It took me about 2 weeks to feel confident and comfy with OPs, from there I just stopped sending them to QA and straight to the hospital.
My supervisor was happy to oblige my request and OPs are now part of my daily workload.
Good luck to you, hope you get the same opportunity to learn them.
Don't even start
As a 23-year MT, currently working for an MTSO, I feel betrayed by the profession. I really made a mistake leaving the hospital position I once held. I'm making half as much as I used to. I'm single and self-supporting, and I wouldn't encourage anyone to choose this work, sadly.
Where do I start?
One of the things that is bothering me lately is dictators who not only talk for hours, or so it seems, but constantly ask you to go back up and insert here and there and not just 1 time, but many times during the dictation. We have to be mind readers or know a lot because dictators change their minds all the time and we have to know what they want put in where. I hate the cell phones/phones sitting close to the dictator/beepers going off, sometimes they are answered, sometimes just ring and ring and the screech in your ears. OMG! I hate the smacking or swallowing of saliva some do when dictating. Are they eating, are they drinking or just swallowing down a gob of goup? Ugh.
start looking ?
With the kind of attitude that this doc and wife have, are they any good to work for anyway? Do you have other job possibilities where you live? LPNs are really in demand and you should probably start looking. You might find someone who will REALLY appreciate you as these people obviously do not. Good luck to them to find another LPN that can and will transcribe while performing LPN duties as well. If they are good people and you want to stay you could do as the other poster said...calm and cool and don't break your neck ! I think the doc and wife are bluffing. Good luck.
I see. Usually, people start with
snide names when production is brought up.
I do work 5 days a week about 3100 lines a day...but truly I'm not a whiz. I am very fast but more than that I stay very steadily at it.
Start slowly and try this ...
Proof 3 out of 4 reports for the next day or two. Then, proof 2 out of 4 reports for a couple of days. Then cut that down to 1 out of 4 reports. Keep yourself abreast by proofing 1 of 10 reports. Proof the reports and let them go -- don't sit and worry!
Two things will happen:
1) You will become more comfortable with your own level of skill
2) Your lines will increase
I meant to start with
This was meant to start with at a new company. I have never been an editor before, either. I have a friend who has been an editor for many years (nearly 15 with 23+ years as an MT) who makes some $30 an hour as an average. Do you know anything about this company, Soft Script? I need all the information I can get. I know they need editors, and you don't have to have experience apparently because I didn't.
start with this link
www.learnthat.com/tutorials/freetutorials.asp?cat=29
There are better companies out there. I would start looking.
dd
Not wanting to start a war but sm
it just really gets old reading the same ole, same ole about SS. As far as I'm personally concerned, there are usually 2 sides to every story. If I happened to be in SS's shoes, I believe I'd be talking to a lawyer about something called "slander" and I'd be telling some folks to put up the proof or shut up. Nope, I don't work for SS, never have and probably never will. If I happened to be in the market for a new job, I believe I would give them a try just to see if they're really that bad. If they were......well, I'd move right along.
best advise is to go to Help on the start
menu, type in copy as the question, and then follow the directions.
the start up $$ is ridiculous
That's what I think is so sinful. They sucker you in telling
you can be an employee, you can make 12,000 a pay period
easY!
None of that is true. And then you are left trying to figure out
how to pay the insurance, pay for the computer you sunk money
into buying and meeting their requirements, reference books,
the whole 9 yards.
And do they have a conscience about leaving a mom and her children
with no food? I really doubt it.
And NO a new MT is not then ready for the next job because
all over again he/she will have to INVEST in the new stuff that
THAT particular company to meet THEIR peculiarities.
I'm sick of transcription now. When they sent us home - that relinquised
the responsibility of these nationals from providing equipment and
turned all the $$ over to profit for them and ate $$ out of our income - not to
speak of the extra utilities run while home. This computer heats up
my house terribly in the summer - it helps in the winter but it still makes
a considerable dent in my bill compared to my neighbors who work during the
day.
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