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And in many cases, if a city tried to put a (much cheaper) paramedic crew/ambulance in a firehouse to cover calls like this the union would point out that it vi

• Brian-Puccio 11y ago
  In my suburban NY town, something very similar is happening. There was a federal grant for some paid firefighters a few years ago. The grant expired and the firefighters were laid off. The union complained about how unsafe it was. The city hired consultants to look at the situation and they said most calls were not fires and medical care was needed most. You'd think that would be the end of it, but one of the laid off firefighters is now running for council in a move most everyone reads as a "I'm going to give me and my friends our jobs back, so you should vote for me, otherwise the town will burn to the ground" move.
• lmm 11y ago
  It's weird how Americans seem to have this huge anti-union thing going, and yet the same problems seem to never arise here in Europe, even though we are far more unionized.
  • stefantalpalaru 11y ago
    Maybe it's because the only strong unions left standing after a long campaign against them are those that protect the already privileged categories: law enforcement, firefighters, etc.
  • dragonwriter 11y ago
    > It's weird how Americans seem to have this huge anti-union thing going, and yet the same problems seem to never arise here in Europe, even though we are far more unionized. Perhaps the American tendency to blame unions is, in part, a direct result of the fact that Americans are less likely to have direct experience with unions. (As well as being a cause of that effect -- its a positive feedback loop.)