Walmart Raises Minimum Wage to $10 - Why Not EMS?

Angel · Feb 27, 2015

i didnt see anything bashing basics, but rather stating the harsh reality that...the school to become an EMT isn't all that long, hard or difficult to do. School itself barely scratches the surface and it takes a lot of confidence, time and experience to be a good EMT.
some are content to just carry gear and drive, but to be able to anticipate your medics next move and have a good handle on BLS skills makes a huge difference.

akflightmedic · Feb 28, 2015

Angel said:
I just don't get what a paramedic would say paramedics don't deserve to get paid more....yea we should raise the standards to a degree requirement, but to (at some places) make just over $11/hr?
Who's side are you on?

Because some people are realists and able to separate the facts from the emotions and analyze exactly the true nature of why paramedics are paid "so low".

Pick any career or any job title. If you put more than one of them in a room, eventually the discussion will turn to "why are we not paid more when we do this and that, and sometimes this. No one understands what we do or how much value we have. We should be paid X"!

The above will take place every single time. So the fact that I or others hear Medics making the same claims is not about being on "a side", it is about being rational and objectively analyzing the situation.

Mufasa556 · Feb 28, 2015

SandpitMedic said:
.....

CHP would be a cool job, if you want to be AAA with a gun....

That's my dream career! I'd spend my whole shift spot checking and jamming up private ambulances.

Angel · Feb 28, 2015

@akflightmedic , so you think you deserve to be paid 10.80/hr?

DesertMedic66 · Feb 28, 2015

Mufasa556 said:
That's my dream career! I'd spend my whole shift spot checking and jamming up private ambulances.

That wouldn't go over too well with the higher ups at CHP

SandpitMedic · Feb 28, 2015

Mufasa556 said:
That's my dream career! I'd spend my whole shift spot checking and jamming up private ambulances.

Lmfao!!! Now we're talking! I'll submit my app right now! Look out @looker

akflightmedic · Feb 28, 2015

Angel said:
@akflightmedic , so you think you deserve to be paid 10.80/hr?

There you go with the "deserve" and the reality of it all. Almost EVERYONE in ANY career or job "deserves" to be paid more if you sit down and analyze what they contribute to society and how much added value there is.

I think the register girl at Dunkin Donuts deserves to get paid more than what she does...she is at work by 0400 every day, greets everyone with a smile, is nice and serves me really good coffee just the way I like it.

Should she be paid more? Not at all...

SandpitMedic · Feb 28, 2015

akflightmedic said:
There you go with the "deserve" and the reality of it all. Almost EVERYONE in ANY career or job "deserves" to be paid more if you sit down and analyze what they contribute to society and how much added value there is.

I think the register girl at Dunkin Donuts deserves to get paid more than what she does...she is at work by 0400 every day, greets everyone with a smile, is nice and serves me really good coffee just the way I like it.

Should she be paid more? Not at all...

You could tip her.

If you wanted to. Or felt like she's the most superb cashier ever.

akflightmedic · Feb 28, 2015

I do tip...but it is irrelevant to the point of the story. Regardless of how good a cashier she is, she is just a number and a dozen people tomorrow could replace her. Service could be same, better or worse...all is irrelevant.

SandpitMedic · Feb 28, 2015

I know.. I was being facetious.

Angel · Feb 28, 2015

Lol ok, since you're not going to answer the question I'll take that as a no.

looker · Feb 28, 2015

Basically now that we had that argument on wages and what emt do, now let talk what can really be done to get EMT wage to go up. The answer is future technology. Basically for emt to get high wage they need to have more responsibility in the ambulance and more importantly more technology to help them have ability to have higher responsibility. More technology means more education, more education means higher cost for education. Higher cost of education will result in higher wage as it will be harder and will take longer to become emt. Until that actually happens, emts wages will not go up unless national/regional unemployment rate go up.

irishboxer384 · Mar 1, 2015

looker said:
Basically now that we had that argument on wages and what emt do, now let talk what can really be done to get EMT wage to go up. The answer is future technology. Basically for emt to get high wage they need to have more responsibility in the ambulance and more importantly more technology to help them have ability to have higher responsibility. More technology means more education, more education means higher cost for education. Higher cost of education will result in higher wage as it will be harder and will take longer to become emt. Until that actually happens, emts wages will not go up unless national/regional unemployment rate go up.

id suggest:

1- the ambulance license shouldnt be a $35 ticket but a few weeks long advanced driving course
2- associates at a minimum (with accredited prior learning given by colleges for experienced paramedics without the credits
3- unions followed by demand for certain target benefits, pensions, and contracts similar to city/local governments

(i love lists)

looker · Mar 1, 2015

irishboxer384 said:
id suggest:

1- the ambulance license shouldnt be a $35 ticket but a few weeks long advanced driving course
2- associates at a minimum (with accredited prior learning given by colleges for experienced paramedics without the credits
3- unions followed by demand for certain target benefits, pensions, and contracts similar to city/local governments

(i love lists)

Regarding your number 2 and 3. Please tell me what need is there for associate degree at this point? EMT is a skill and certification. You don't need all of the associates degree classes to be emt but hell I could be wrong and hopefully you will explain it. Regarding number 3, that just demanding more pay without there really being a reason to pay you more. Union slowly but surely are starting to die and that is a good thing.

Angel · Mar 1, 2015

unions dying?! no they arent, the california nurses union is constantly striking against something, and CA has the highest paid nurses (that I know of)
and associates means people have to be able to pass basic math and english before licensing, no more of that functional illiteracy crap.
Personally id like to do away with all EMTs and make it AEMT level with an associates, and Paramedics more like CCT medics with a BS requirement.
Hopefully it happens before I die

gonefishing · Mar 1, 2015

Unions a bad thing? LOL!!!!!!!!!!
You like weekends right? Federal Holidays?
Labor laws, rules and regulations? I'm sorry but this is America not the ussr or china. I have belonged to unions before, nemsa a waste of my time but several others such as the steel workers union and have seen both sides of the tracks. I've been an employee and an employer I have a college education in something other than language arts or art history. Unions are not always bad. Yes there are some bad ones that serve absolutely no purpose because they represent false representation to employees. Usually unions come in when **** really hits the fan amongst a certain labor group with them and poor management. The mentality of "us"vs "them" it shouldn't be you vs your employee but retaining employees and figuring out how to beat your competition in a legal and tasteful way.

irishboxer384 · Mar 1, 2015

looker said:
Regarding your number 2 and 3. Please tell me what need is there for associate degree at this point? EMT is a skill and certification. You don't need all of the associates degree classes to be emt but hell I could be wrong and hopefully you will explain it. Regarding number 3, that just demanding more pay without there really being a reason to pay you more. Union slowly but surely are starting to die and that is a good thing.

i read emt and 'thought' paramedic, so my points were meant towards paramedic my mistake

akflightmedic · Mar 1, 2015

Angel said:
Lol ok, since you're not going to answer the question I'll take that as a no.

I did answer the question. If it is not as direct as you would like, let me try again.

Yes, I deserve to be paid $10.80 an hour. Do I want to be paid that? No, no one wants what they are getting, they always want more and will find ways to try and justify more. But yes, I deserve $10.80 per hour.

Angel · Mar 1, 2015

It's sad you think so little of yourself, your profession and your skills, but don't assume the rest of us do. Nah, you can keep you $11/hr. Not me though. And don't bring the rest of us down with you... (assuming you even work in the states, I can't remember)

SandpitMedic · Mar 1, 2015

Angel said:
It's sad you think so little of yourself, your profession and your skills, but don't assume the rest of us do. Nah, you can keep you $11/hr. Not me though. And don't bring the rest of us down with you... (assuming you even work in the states, I can't remember)

He's a millionaire who owns a successful company that contracts with the U.S. government overseas.

While I agree with your premise, I don't think he is "down" with the rest of us.

Walmart Raises Minimum Wage to $10 - Why Not EMS?

Paramedic

Forum Deputy Chief

Forum Captain

Paramedic

Forum Troll

Crowd pleaser

Forum Deputy Chief

Crowd pleaser

Forum Deputy Chief

Crowd pleaser

Paramedic

Forum Asst. Chief

Forum Captain

Forum Asst. Chief

Paramedic

Forum Deputy Chief

Forum Captain

Forum Deputy Chief

Paramedic

Crowd pleaser