uh oh, CTA wants to raise fares (Union: wage, professionals)

[Union Proud]

Originally Posted by MannheimMadman

From what I gather, you defend your premise that if you do not use brain power, you should still get a living wage, correct?

I've been living in a cave. You shouldn't need an education past highschool to get a well paying job. Yes I'm saying that.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Mr. Whips

What about loyalty to the workers whom gave 15 years of service. I'm a sanitation worker and I get free Insurance and 4k put into my pension fund. I guess I will go to work Monday and tell the boss to fire me and hire to part timer for $14 to save the company money. Why pay me 75k a year of base wages and bennie's.

Here's the thing though: Can someone at $14/hr effectively do the same job you are doing? If so, the company can save a ton of money.

I worked at Circuit City when they fired all of those people who were experienced and making a ton of money. They reasoned that if they were paying person A $18/hr to sell $30K of merchandise each month, and person B was selling the same amount of merch for $9/hr...what incentive do they have to keep person A?

The answer? They don't.

In the business world, people are paid according to what skills they possess or how well they can do a particular job. I personally try to keep on learning and getting better so I can't be replaced. That's the thing; If you're lazy and don't keep on working to make yourself better, someone else WILL come in and do a better job.

It's just business, man.

[MannheimMadman]

Originally Posted by Mr. Whips

I've been living in a cave. You shouldn't need an education past highschool to get a well paying job. Yes I'm saying that.

And I respect your opinion in thinking that, but the global economy would beg to differ. You learn cool, useful things like statistics and critical thinking in college.

[Union Proud]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

That's $52,000 a year, with benefits, including pension and retireee health care. An employee of a similar skill/experience could not expect to achieve the same outcome, in the private sector.

No, base wages without benefits. I know a couple bus drivers and they aren't living high on the hog.

[Union Proud]

Originally Posted by MannheimMadman

Here's the thing though: Can someone at $14/hr effectively do the same job you are doing? If so, the company can save a ton of money.

I worked at Circuit City when they fired all of those people who were experienced and making a ton of money. They reasoned that if they were paying person A $18/hr to sell $30K of merchandise each month, and person B was selling the same amount of merch for $9/hr...what incentive do they have to keep person A?

The answer? They don't.

In the business world, people are paid according to what skills they possess or how well they can do a particular job. I personally try to keep on learning and getting better so I can't be replaced. That's the thing; If you're lazy and don't keep on working to make yourself better, someone else WILL come in and do a better job.

It's just business, man.

That's the reason I like my union job. To answer your question, they do pay employees $14 or less to do my job. Illinois and New York is the highest paid in the field. If I transfer to Florida,I'll get paid $12 to do my job and pay into my own insurance.

[It'sAutomatic]

Unionized labor is what killed manufacturing and industry in the northern US. How is GM supposed to compete with Japanese companies when they're forced to pay their employees $80,000 a year to do menial work and then pay them $50,000 a year for doing absolutely nothing after they retire?

[middle-aged mom]

Originally Posted by Mr. Whips

No, base wages without benefits. I know a couple bus drivers and they aren't living high on the hog.

Annual compensation for every CTA employee is public information.

The CTA benefit program is substantially richer than can be found in the private sector.

How anyone lives off their income is none of my business.

[randomguymike]

Originally Posted by Mr. Whips

What about loyalty to the workers whom gave 15 years of service. .

Welcome to the 21st century dinasour. Suck it up and face the fact your union is dead and hated by the professional class that has already given up their pension and 401k match, depsite an 18 year education.

[Union Proud]

Originally Posted by randomguymike

Welcome to the 21st century dinasour. Suck it up and face the fact your union is dead and hated by the professional class that has already given up their pension and 401k match, depsite an 18 year education.

That's the problem, people isn't happy with their careers and what they have lost and want the unions to be miserable with them. They feel their post high school education make them entitle to a high salary. The union have one foot in the grave,but if companies keep this ***** up...the unions can make a comeback.

[eevee]

Originally Posted by Mr. Whips

They feel their post high school education make them entitle to a high salary.

and what's so wrong w/ that? IMHO, post high school education DOES entitle you to a higher wage. post high school education, along w/ some learned skill set (ie, plumbing, HVAC), and the sort of "street smarts" that allow folks to start up their own businesses, these are three things that should entitle you to a higher wage vs some run of the mill HS graduate. as far as i can tell, the average CTA bus driver/train operator posses NONE of these things, or at the very least, these things aren't needed to do the job. I don't see why they are somehow more deserving of keeping benefits and getting raises when many in this country have given these things up during the recession