Good evening,
This was a recent suntimes article about the pay of Metra Conductors and Engineers. http://chicagosuntimes.com/news/metras-100000-club-includes-conductors-engineers/ Thankfully the jokers of the comment section stayed home. Now why does the media always try to manfuctre, “outrage” when it is not warrented?
Because those to whom they direct the outrage earn more than those that are trying to generate the outrage. Envy & Greed, as old as time!
There are plenty of folks who would take exception to your accusing them of greed and envy. Many folks understandably would see paying someone to rest for four hours to be an utter farce. Metra’s paying many conductors and engineers over $100K also seems misplaced values.
Many jobs used to pay as well, or better than, the railroads. Over the past 40 or so years most of those jobs have, if they haven’t been exported to developing countries, had the wage rates cut. Meat packing is a good example.
Instead of trying to bring everyone up, regain what has been lost, most people who have taken it in the shorts seem more eager to bring those appearing to have it so good down. I guess it’s easier that way.
Schlimm, I would have never guessed you were a conservative.
Jeff
It is not unusual to see anything that the government is involved in paying high wages. Those involved seem to believe that funds are unlimited, just tax someone to get more. In business we try to pay people well but really are limited to what the consumer is willing to pay. If you, the consumer won’t pay $10.00 for a burger, $6.00 for a gallon of milk, $4.00 for a 2 liter of cola, $50,000+ for a new car, then we, the business people, can’t pay someone $15.00/hr to flip burgers, answer the phone, sweep the floor or $1,000 / week to make deliveries. It is not as likely that these kind of wages can happen in private business. Bob
I’m not, but it seems like misplaced values. Some other poster thought it was a consequence of Metra being a government enterprise. However, the article suggests the Metra pay scales are similar to what is paid to the engineers for Metra trains on the UP and BNSF lines. You mention the loss of good jobs that have been outsourced overseas, which I think was very short-sighted. But right now, there are beginning teachers and college instructors in Wisconsin getting only $35-40K. No wonder our education is slipping, when teachers in the top systems, like Finland pay theirs much better. At this rate, the future looks increasingly grim.
As to the poster who contends consumers would have to pay far more if wages were at a decent level, examine this fact: The minimum wage in Australia is $16 per hour, which is what most of their Mickey D’s employees earn. Nationally here it is $7.25. yet a Big Mac there is $4.81 vs here an average of $4.80 (depending on location).
however as the item noted:
“The average $100,000-club conductor worked an extra 885 hours a year — the equivalent of 22 additional 40-hour workweeks — to take home at least six figures, the Sun-Times found. That boosted their average guaranteed pay level by 44 percent.”
Having folks work that much over time, and at straight time as well may be the misplaced value.
I love this:
“It’s outrageous that riders are going to be paying for this level of salary when riders are not guaranteed those kind of pay schedules or those kind of work rules or additional compensation,” Robling said.
Wait… WHAT? In what twisted world does Robling think we live in where you are paid/schedueld solely based on what your customers are paid? Guess what? Many of those commuters work M-F, 8 hours per day. So I guess that is all the Metra workers should have to work. Only fair.
Sounds like Robling is a little mad that he was a ‘communciations director’ that got paid less than a conductor.
What Australia pay anyone is really not revelent to the USA. Assumptions are being made that everything is equal in both countries. I come from a family of teachers and they are a bit under paid to start. The difference being the benefits and retirement packages they receive are something the average working American can only dream of. Metra, 55% fare funded, 45% sales tax funded wouldn’t seem to be a private corp. I sure I’m wrong, but it would seem to be governmental with the city of Chicago and the surrounding counties appointing the board. Probably me not understanding what sales tax is? Engineers and conductors get paid $100,00 / year to work 40 hours / week is way over, BUT, working 80+ / week and only getting $100K is close to slavery for what they do.
$Envy - pure & simple. However, if he were requested to put in the hours that those whose compensation he envys did to earn that compensation - he would be long, long gone.
They also are paid to take a required four hours off during shifts of more than 12 hours — a common occurrence for those working two rush hours.
The alternative is to pay them two complete days. Men don’t work for free. The Hours of Service law permits a 4 hour or more and less than 10 hour break in service in working within the 12 hours of the permitted work day. These breaks in service are compensated. If the individuals were to conclude their service with the end of their morning run. They would have to have 10 hours undistrubed rest before starting another compensated day to make the return trip. When train and engine crews go on duty, they are on pay until they are finally released from service. This applies to freight crews as well as passenger crews, in certain situations the 4 hour plus respite happens with freight crews.
I behoves the carriers to use ALL of the 12 Hours allowed by the Hours of Service Law in order to minimize the employee head count. To a point, it is much cheaper to pay employees that are already on the payroll to perform all the service you are able to give them, rather than hire additional personnel to perform this service. Fringe Benefit payments accrew on head count, not on service hours.
Why wouldn’t they get paid? They are working a split shift, and from what I understand with the respite laws, can be on duty for up to 16 hours. It’s not like they are at home drinking beer.
Are they going to stop paying us when we blow up and have to wait 4+ hours for our taxi to find us?
I think the one item that isn’t being discussed in regards to this topic is retirement. I suspect that the more senior the conductor or engineer, the more overtime they may be taking. Normally, doing so nearer the end of one’s career builds the retirement up dramatically. I can’t say for sure since I don’t know how the METRA retirement works although I presume it is a defined benefit type. However, I have heard that the public pension funds in IL are the most underfunded in the USA so anything that makes their deficit worse should be an “no-no”.
As for the one poster who compares working in a Mickey D’s in the US to Austria, the employer’s expenses for non-payroll employee expenses are a lot less in Austria which has the government providing the "mandated “benefits” that in the US are provided by the employer. I’n not sure that a valid comparison of wages is applicable unless that and also what the average worker pays in taxes to support the welfare state are also factored into the equation.
Not to mention Held Away (aka, detention pay, hostage pay, and probably other terms more region or railroad specific) for being in the motel for over 16 hours.
Jeff
Company-paid-for employee health benefits at McDonald’s USA for the average worker? Not much, if any, since most workers are part-time…
The statement was about Australia, not Austria. Australia has a complex combination of government and private insurance.
I wonder why the author is upset with the earnings.
After all, a plant operator down here in one of the refineries can make that as an annual salary easily.
Most of the guys on the PTRA extra board make more than that.
The guy one notch below me had his railroad retirement statement out, he was trying to figure out a question he had, and we looked, in 17 years, working an overtime job most of the time, he earned 2.5 million.
This kid works 10 hours a shift minimum, on a night job, so he really earned it.
I can’t imagine having to work a split shift for 16 hours daily; there would be no personal life at all.
There is nothing wrong with the pay that these railroaders are earning.
Keep in mind by whom these newspapers are owned, whom they endorsed for governor of Illinois, and his promises to take down labor “like Reagan did with the Air Traffic Controllers”.
If this is too political, please disrgard and/or pull it. But I fear that this is just the opening volley in a battle against labor in the public sector.
Watching ‘You Only Live Twice’ on BBC America - Blofeld asking for a ‘ransome’ of $100,000,000 - seemed like a lot of money in 1965 - in the world of multi Billion dollar business deals of 2014 it sounds like chump change.
$100,000 in 2014 is not what it was 10 years ago, 20 years ago or 30 years ago - especially after the tax men get their shares and one is lucky if they can clear $70K
METRA employees are covered under Railroad Retirement which is similar to but more robust than Social Security. Like SS it has a maximum annual creditable earning limit (subject to with holdings). This is a national plan and is reported to be financially sound. So no, working overtime does you no good once you hit the limit of annual earnings with this program, and it has nothing to do with the Illinois pension issue since its a national program. It’s long term viability is in danger however as the Paul Ryan budget proposes to raid it. (Some railroad employees around here have uttered the s word if that comes to pass but we’ll see).
METRA employees may also have a supplementel pension ( I guarantee you their brothers and sisters over on the BNSF and UP do, but then if you work for a government entity you don’t deserve it) which may or may not have an earning cap and may or may not be in the Illinois pension mess.
I would be interested to know if supplemental pension funds were transferred to METRA for affected employees when METRA purchased the lines they now own, or do those folks still belong to the predecessor road’s pension program.