Insulting!

[Lorrie L. Marchant]

Please, please tell me that no reporter would accept a job from this New York firm (New York!) that only pays a $.25 flat per page rate on the copies.  It's not as if the other rates are so spectacular that they offset this absolutely insulting copy page rate.  This rather infuriates me.  I am in utter disbelief that any reporter anywhere would work for this copy rate.

APPEARANCE:
Pre-9:00 a.m. 40.00
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. 40.00
1:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. 40.00
Post 6:00 p.m. 40.00
RATES PER PAGE:
Regular (8th business day) 3.85 pp
Expedited* (3rd business days) +1.00 4.85 pp
2-Day* +1.25 5.10 pp
Daily* +1.50 5.35 pp
Immediate* +2.00 5.85 pp
*[Redacted] Reporting pays for only one expedite, daily
or immediate order (i.e. both sides order expedite,
we pay you one expedite fee)
ROUGH ASCII
1.00 pp
Combo-rate,
to same firm $1.85
REALTIME
1.00 pp
VIDEOTAPED PROCEEDINGS
0.15 per page
COPIES
0.25 per page flat rate
MINIMUM
Busts, brief statements, etc. $100.00
WAIT TIME
Not applicable to our type of work

[Barbara Memory]

I am confused, too, Lorrie.  We are discussing rates, not fixing rates, correct?  Is that not allowed on this board? I am new so I am not too sure.  But I know it is too all of our benefit to know what the industry standard is (or is not).

Kelli can maybe join in and advise.

Barbara

[Catuogno Court Reporting]

@Lindsay - No misinterpretation here. "I'm saying that we are endangering ourselves and Kelli as the administrator of this website if we start encouraging each other in this public forum to adhere to specific rates - it's called price fixing, and it's a violation of federal antitrust laws."

With due respect to your input.... I think Kelli has responded and doesn't need further (unsolicited) representation. A tiny band of court reporters isn't going to disrupt the national economy, but we could actually preserve our livelihood (for a while) if we aren't wearing blinders.

[Catuogno Court Reporting]

@Kelli - Lindsay is clearly saying more than that.  She's suggesting that sharing information about lowballers in this highly fragmented, largely solo operated business is illegal, or potentially subject to antitrust measures.  That is IMO a terribly misinformed opinion (sorry Lindsay).

Price fixing pertains to competitors who have clear control a market (major airlines, large energy companies, major retailers, etc.) who conspire to set prices in their primary markets.

Sharing non-protected, non-proprietary information through the U.S. Postal Service or even via email is not protected unless specifically noted in the document or documents sent by the soliciting party.  Even then, it may not be protected unless you have given consent through non-disclosure (signature, etc.)

Sharing that information on a loosely organized, voluntary forum of like-minded individuals is perfectly reasonable, unless you live in Russia.  I don't think we're there (yet).

[Tricia Annebid]

I am in NYC, and I do charge more than that.  Sadly not that much more.  I would not work for those amounts, but that is the norm here for newer reporters.

[David Levy]

Unfortunately .25 per page per copy has apparently been the accepted rate in NY for a number of years.  With newer agencies that I start working for, I quote them higher copy rates.  But the ones I've been working for in NY pay .25.  And there are a few smaller agencies that don't pay for copy sales at all.  

Now, you say, "Don't work for those agencies."  But there just isn't enough work here for reporters to start cutting out agencies that they work for.  Some of us are struggling really badly to stay above water.  If it were they way it used to be, where there was more work than a reporter could handle, we could make demands.  Right now here the advantage is with the agencies.

[Lauren Tilbury]

CRAZY.  THEY DO NOT VALUE THEMSELVES OR THEIR PROFESSION.  They should just go work at Taco Bell.