It seems only fair that the recycling & compost truck drivers get paid the same as the garbage truck drivers. How did the HUGE disparity in their wages occur to begin with ($58,000.00 for recycling & compost drivers; $98,000.00 for garbage truck drivers!!)? However, how can the city afford to nearly double the wages of our striking recycling & compost drivers? And, here's a good one to chew on - what do Seattle City School teachers earn?? I'm betting that they make salaries more akin to the striking drivers than the garbage haulers. We require that teachers have master's degrees to teach and that they get continuing education, . . . and we entrust teachers with educating our children! If we're going to talk equity and deserved pay increases, let's not forget these civil servants.
In a better world, we might sit down and look at all of these things and create new contracts that take into account equity, appropriate pay for requirements of the job, budgets, etc. Not likely to happen here & now, though.
I support unions and feel they generally get a bad rep. However, there is also something to be said for the notion of having unions negotiating amongst themselves for parity. If the garbage truck drivers took a pay cut so that their wages went down to $78,000.00 (instead of the current $98,000.00) and the recycling & compost drivers wages went up to $78,000.00 (instead of the current $58,000.00), that would seem to be fair and reasonable, more likely to fit in the city budget, a compromise. . . . Unless you're a garbage truck driver, of course, and maybe if you're a recycling or compost truck driver hoping to get a raise to $98,000.00.
It seems only fair that the recycling & compost truck drivers get paid the same as the garbage truck drivers. How did the HUGE disparity in their wages occur to begin with ($58,000.00 for recycling & compost drivers; $98,000.00 for garbage truck drivers!!)? However, how can the city afford to nearly double the wages of our striking recycling & compost drivers? And, here's a good one to chew on - what do Seattle City School teachers earn?? I'm betting that they make salaries more akin to the striking drivers than the garbage haulers. We require that teachers have master's degrees to teach and that they get continuing education, . . . and we entrust teachers with educating our children! If we're going to talk equity and deserved pay increases, let's not forget these civil servants.
In a better world, we might sit down and look at all of these things and create new contracts that take into account equity, appropriate pay for requirements of the job, budgets, etc. Not likely to happen here & now, though.
I support unions and feel they generally get a bad rep. However, there is also something to be said for the notion of having unions negotiating amongst themselves for parity. If the garbage truck drivers took a pay cut so that their wages went down to $78,000.00 (instead of the current $98,000.00) and the recycling & compost drivers wages went up to $78,000.00 (instead of the current $58,000.00), that would seem to be fair and reasonable, more likely to fit in the city budget, a compromise. . . . Unless you're a garbage truck driver, of course, and maybe if you're a recycling or compost truck driver hoping to get a raise to $98,000.00.