I was going to cap off tonight with a piece I have been working on for the past week or so that I was calling “NEMSA: a renaissance of ignorance”.  Although the points I make in it are valid its appropriateness at this point is debatable.  Instead I have deleted that post from my PC and it will never be seen.  I think that tonight on the eve of the election I have something even more important to say.

  At this late hour I don’t think any of us is going to change anybodies mind on how to vote.  I know that I won’t be changed in mind and I don’t presume to be able to change anybody else’s.  Hopefully the past 4 weeks of debate has gotten out a lot of information to the members who aren’t as involved as we are.  It might come as a surprise but our mission was not to discredit NEMSA but to facilitate the dissemination of information to other members, both about IAEP and NEMSA.  Both groups offer pro’s and con’s and we are all allowed the opportunity to vote for the group we feel best represents what we want from out union.  I think we all know whom each other are going to be voting for.  As long as we have well thought out reasons for our vote (and even if we don’t) then we have the right to vote as we choose.  I would like tonight to start talking about where we go from here.

  In a couple of weeks we are going to have a new union representing is.  Either the IAEP or NEMSA.  Some of us will have voted and campaigned for the winner.  Less of us will have campaigned for the loser.  And yet we will all still be working side by side in the same counties and doing the same jobs.  I have made this point to the people in my county before and I will make it again.  We are not forming a new ambulance company comprised of only the people who voted the way we did.  At some point we have to stop and realized that the issues have changed from “who do we vote for?” to “how do we make our union the best?”.  I think that both unions offer within them the ability to make our bargaining unit the strongest in the country.  I think one is able to do that better than the other and with less risk but whichever wins I think the people in this union, especially the people who care enough about this decision to be on this message board every day, have the motivation and drive to represent us well as employees.  The next few paragraphs have nothing to do with how I feel on the NEMSA vs. IAEP debate and everything to do with how I feel we should be represented in the near future.  Whether you like the opinions of these people on not take some time to think about what they can do to represent you in front of management.

  Torren Colcord.   The catalyst for a new way of thinking about ourselves as EMS professional.  Regardless of the things being tossed around now about possible corrupt motives, the validity of which I don’t care to discuss anymore, he had a new idea that was revolutionary.  Very few of us would be involved in this discussion right now were it not for him starting the debate about how we want, and how we deserve to be represented.  He might be the right person to be president of our new union or he might not but we would be foolish if we did not include him in our union if NEMSA is not voted in.  I would hope that he would be willing to be involved if NEMSA is not the people’s choice.  He has shown to be willing to give of himself to help promote the cause of private transport personnel and that should not be taken for granted.

  Nate Contos.  Like him ( I do) or hate him (some of you do) he has been instrumental in getting information out to the average street medic and EMT.  Without his involvement I don’t think many of us would be making an informed decision about our representation.  I know of people who are voting for NEMSA because of info provided by him and I know of others who won’t be voting for NEMSA because of some of the questions and risks brought up by him.  Willing to tread into unpopular waters Nate has gotten past the feel good hype from both sides and provided hard facts to the people.  As an iconoclast he is to be applauded for going beyond what is popular to find what is right.

  Israel Bettencort.  Having met him only once I don’t know everything about this man but I can say I was truly impressed by his intellect and drive to serve his fellow EMS professionals.  He is highly intelligent and if NEMSA is voted in, it would be foolish to overlook this bright and motivated man.  He reads books about labor movements and conflicts we can only dream about.  He knows more about the history and shortcomings of labor movements than most scholars.  No matter which side wins I will be campaigning for Israel to be the president of our new union.  The only problem is that he may be too smart to accept the job.  You may not agree with all his view but I can’t think of another person better suited to guide our union through the first scary and uncertain years.

  Stacy Rutherford.  In our trip to Santa Clara ops I was happy to see him show up. I don’t agree with a lot that he has to say but he presents his arguments in an organized and well thought out manner.  When faced with a tough question he would stop and consider his response first instead of rushing to speak and basing his arguments on emotion.  I appreciate someone who has a process to their thoughts regardless of me agreeing with their answers.  I think he would be a fantastic field rep.  I don’t think he is the type of person to be intimidated by a hostile or unfriendly meeting between the employees and management.  Sometimes we need someone with the courage to speak their mind in the face of overwhelming adversity.

  These are just some thoughts I had about who should be leading us into the future of EMS regardless of the union banner we do it under.  On the same topic I think there are some folks who should not be leading this new future of EMS.  There are those people out there who have been very hostile and standoffish regarding the free exchange of information.  There are people who have been rude when we were attempting to get healthcare questions answered.  And there are people who have made claims to the monetary rewards they will reap in this new future for EMS.  I don’t think that people attempting to be leaders or a labor movement should be acting this way towards their fellow members.  If people are presenting themselves as visionaries within a new idea then they should behave as such.  I have given examples of some poor visionary’s in my other posts so I will give some positive examples here.  Gandhi was a visionary, Martin Luther King Jr. was a visionary, Jesus was a visionary, Siddhartha the living Buddha was a visionary (regardless of your religious beliefs, Jesus and the Buddha were extraordinary teachers with great lessons for the lives of all people).  When these people were met with questions regarding the philosophy behind their ideas they answered them in frank and open discussions without trying to hide behind a cloud of misinformation and half-truths.  When met with open opposition to their ideas they did not respond with hostility or resentment.  Instead the detractors to their ideas were treated with respect and inclusion.  Rather that remain content to stand on their laurels among their supporters, they sought out those he were skeptical in an attempt to allow them to see the wisdom of the new way.  If we only converse with and support those with the same opinions we have, where is the reward in that?  I don’t want to be represented by someone who doesn’t understand the responsibility that goes along with bringing a new idea into the world. 

  So on this, the eve of the election that decides our future I would like to say that whichever side wins I offer my support and energy to help shape the future of EMS into something we can all be proud of and I hope we can all pledge them same.  If you are unable to humble yourself to work for the greater good perhaps you should reconsider your motivations to represent the cause of the workers.  The wheels of capitalism will continue to be oiled with the workers blood until we make the system change.  Whoever wins let work together to ensure our blood doesn’t oil any wheels.

In unity for a better future,

Brad Cramer

EMT-P Santa Cruz County