Lifeguards' Union

[STI]

Hey there,

I'm 'in training' to become a lifeguard, and i'd like to be part of a union (or start one if necessary). Does anybody know of a lifeguards' union that i could contact?

Thank You.

[Guest]

Good idea i'm a fellow life guard. Out in B.C. in Canada they started a union. We could certainly use them, there a few disgruntal employees, plus really $10 an hour for being responsible for peoples lives isn't the best. Your best bet would be to check out the lifesaving society website and the red cross web site. Or run a search for lifegaurding information in BC.

[MiDnIgHtMaRaUdEr]

A life guard strike...O dear...

[STI]

I've done Red Cross Leaders' training, and saw the conditions under which the lifeguards at the pool where i'll likely be working are forced to operate (you're required to do some assistant teaching). On Saturday morning, they have to teach in a far- too- cold pool, because the swim team likes it cold (i've been on a swim team and have swam in this particular pool, and, in all fairness, it is better in a cold pool). They could just negotiate, except for the fact that the swim team coach is also the 'big boss'. There's not much they can do by themselves. They have to attend 'In- Services' to keep their skills sharp. Not a bad idea, except they're given about a week of notice and attendence is manditory. They get a 15 minute break for as much as 3 hours teaching a bunch of kids to do front- floats. They pay, as was already mentioned, isn't too great, considering the responsibility placed on them. A union would definately benefit. Thanks for the suggestion, by the way.

" A life guard strike...O dear... "

Sorry, but i really don't know what context that was 'said' in. If you don't mind, could you please clarify?

[REDWARRIOR]

A lifeguarding union would result in fairer treatment of the staff and a high pay rate, as we as lifeguards are responsible for the lives of those patrons utilizing an aquatics facility. We are a service of the municipal Government, or at least we are here, where i work, and our a subsection of the town. Thus naturally we should have someone to represent us. The work hours are long, and can be physically testing and demanding. It is not easy when the lives of many depend on you. Many lifeguards are not old enought to vote or drink, yet we are responsible for saving lives. The pay, as mention is low, while it is higher than say minimum wage at macdonalds, for the amount of training which we must endure it is nothing. not to mention preforming a rescue is a mental shcok, especially if it includes dragging the body of a patron dead off the body of a pool. We are trained in the ways of CPR, AED, first aid, and water recuse, such as the dealing of spinal injuries within an aquatics area, and various rescue's. Not to mention everytime a rescue is preform out lives are placed on the line, as it is possibly for a drowning patrol to attack a rescuer and drag them down to the bottum of the body of water. A lot of time is commiteed to life guarding and insturcting, this job has a lot of prepatory work to instruct children and adults in swimming. Unpaying prepitory hours, sometimes up to 2 hours to prepare for your lessons. Rules are stricly inforced, with punishment for the staff. As well as many, many evaluation, which are sometimes unfair. We are lifesavers, and teachers, and are only paid 10 and hour. There is a lot of disgruntaled employees, a union would be a great idea, someone should step up and start one.

Midnight Marauder, as for your remark, the Revolution in Russia was started by the most unlikely people, striking women and was noit highly viewed, funny how this event is what triggered the socialist revolution in russia. Be not so quick to laugh...by the way i am not suggesting that lifeguards while start a revolution, just do not be so close minded. Workers must band together!

[MiDnIgHtMaRaUdEr]

I'm not against organized labor at all, but what are you going to do? Say "We aren't going to rescue this drowning child till we get a pay raise!"? I don't like the idea of having innocent people in the middle of a conflict between employers and employees.

[Ian]

Do you think anyone would do that midnight marauder? I mean what person who had entered into a union based on the idea of improving the collective welfare of all its members would suddenly forget about all other's welfare? In Sydney there was a nurses strike recently, there were no troubles as nurses of course see their value in society, lifeguards see their value as well and they aren't stupid so they won't let people drown.

[STI]

Originally posted by [email protected] 6 2004, 04:16 AM
I'm not against organized labor at all, but what are you going to do? Say "We aren't going to rescue this drowning child till we get a pay raise!"? I don't like the idea of having innocent people in the middle of a conflict between employers and employees.
If lifeguards went on strike, they wouldn't just leave drowning people. They'd probably wait for the workday to be over, then say, "Guess what, we're not working anymore". Even if somebody is a big enough asshole to cross a picket line, they wouldn't be stupid enough to swim in a pool without lifeguards. I'm not sure it's even legal to open a pool without lifeguards. Nobody's life would be at stake.

[REDWARRIOR]

hilarious. It's not to create turbulance, or to rebel. It's to create fairness and equality for the workers, for no one is rebresenting them. It's calling for the creation of a new union. And we have a resonibily to save the drowning weather being paid or not, a legal and moral obligation. Also we are technically a member of the red cross society, which has some governing princible which would make the creation of a union a unique a intersting concept. Inoccent people would not be caught in the middle. They just want to be represented is the point.

[MiDnIgHtMaRaUdEr]

O, ok then, happy striking!

[STI]

Well, I emailed the National Lifesaving Society, and they told me that the only unionized lifeguards (in Canada) were in BC, and that Nova Scotia was in the process of trying to start a union. If there are any Ontario lifeguards/lifeguards-in-training who want to go 'in cahoots' with me to start a union, send me an email at [email protected] . I'm really excited about this. :D