A walkout does nothing.
I believe that like most organizations, he ASCP has its good and its bad
points.
It does provide some very useful learning aids and in all fairness is a
powerful and organized advocate for the pathology profession. This is
important in the current climate when insurance companies in Texas are
trying to squirm out of paying for laboratory tests.
On the other hand the organization is one that provides the tests for
histotechs who will be employed by pathologists. This is, for a general
principal an unhealthy relationship. The employers are doing the
certification for those who will be future employees in one form or
another. What incentive is there for such an organization to push for
higher salaries for histotechs?
What is obviously required is an independent testing and certification
agency. This would make for a much more open marketplace for histotechs.
This however is not the only problem. When I trained in England salaries
were pitiful. You have to remember this was a long time ago (I think
that Noah had just landed the ark). My salary was around the equivalent
of a cowboy in the 1850s. Then a union became organized for the nurses
and the MLTs joined.  Within 3 to 4 years salaries had tripled.  While I
know that Texas is a right to work state and also that unions have their
bad as well as their good points, they can act as powerful lobbies. 
Who precisely is lobbying specifically for us now? 
How many of you have written to the ASCP and to legislators voicing your
concerns for our profession and stressing what would happen if we did
not have dedicated but underpaid people working in our laboratories?
We all tend to be somewhat isolated, individually, statewide, and as a
nation. If you work for a really good pathologist who is concerned for
your welfare and does their best for pay increases for you, it is
difficult to worry about other individuals who are not as fortunate in
their workplaces.
As long as the histology profession consists of individual small groups
and certification is controlled by potential employers I do not think
that anything will change. I feel that ASCP and other groups need to be
convinced that we are all part of a team. All members of that team must
be totally committed to the team's mission of providing great health
care. All members of the team should also share in the financial and
other benefits that come from such efforts.
Barry

 -----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces@lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Colleen
Forster
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2005 10:36 AM
To: histonet@lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Walk Out

I agree with Vinnie. We want to draw positive attention not negative as 
we are already the "unknown".


Colleen Forster
U of Mn


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