Yeah, it's the fault of the unions. Whatever.

In basically any other situation the typical "conservative" responses would be along the lines of "they shouldn't have signed that contract" and "they should hire more people so that they don't have to use so much overtime".

But instead the responses from those people will be "abolish unions!" and "get rid of the FMLA!".

Sid_6.7: In basically any other situation the typical "conservative" responses would be along the lines of "they shouldn't have signed that contract" and "they should hire more people so that they don't have to use so much overtime".

Don't forget the "but wage caps are unAmerican!!!!" line when it comes to CEOs or bank executives.

1. It says in the article that the city was struggling to fill vacancies and needed to pay overtime hours.

2. Senior staff getting first crack at overtime is hardly a new phenomenon.

3. Shift differentials are common. When Calgary Transit negotiated its new contract with the union, shift differential pay was one of the top issues.

Also of note:

Interesting that we never hear what the total budget for the city or the transportation department is.

Don't want to pay so much overtime? Stop offering it and hire more drivers.

A city hiring freeze last year blocked Metro from replacing drivers for a time, Kamp said. Cieslewicz later authorized Metro to fill vacancies after learning it was cheaper than paying overtime.

Gee, maybe the city shouldn't have had that hiring freeze.

It's hard to judge not knowing just how much overtime they worked, or whether there is any limit to how long they can be on duty, but I'm sure the drivers are proud.

So the guy works a farkton of hours, busts his ass, and makes a lot of money doing so.

THIS IS NOT THE CONSERVATIVE WAY

I'm sure alot of that overtime is kicked back to mafia.

Rev.K: 1. It says in the article that the city was struggling to fill vacancies and needed to pay overtime hours.

2. Senior staff getting first crack at overtime is hardly a new phenomenon.

3. Shift differentials are common. When Calgary Transit negotiated its new contract with the union, shift differential pay was one of the top issues.

Also of note:

Interesting that we never hear what the total budget for the city or the transportation department is.


If you start a job with 3 weeks of vacation, good for you.

If you get cool stuff for accepting a job, good for you.

If your collective bargaining agreement means that you can be the highest paid employee by virtue of the fact that you've been there longer than the guy who starts tomorrow, good for you.

/unions can shrewdly negotiate advantageous contracts
//management can deftly nuance contracts with advantageous language
///been union
/Vbeen management

I for one am happy for the guy. The "little guys" do win once in a while, and he's been at it a long time and payed his dues.

You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

This dude's base pay is less than $50k; he racked up almost $110k in overtime. Which meant he worked a farking lot of farking overtime (if his overtime was double pay, about 84 hours a week, if time-and-a-half, 99 hours a week).

So, city is short-staffed, city needs workers to work overtime, worker works a farkton of overtime, gets paid a farkton of money. Certainly this bespeaks poor planning on the part of the city, but other than that, what the farking fark is the farking problem?

interesting that a superconductor won't let magnetic fields through. Why can't we have floating superconducting chairs?

SusanIvanova: So, city is short-staffed, city needs workers to work overtime, worker works a farkton of overtime, gets paid a farkton of money. Certainly this bespeaks poor planning on the part of the city, but other than that, what the farking fark is the farking problem?

Bus drivers have no business trying not to be poor. They should earn nothing, feel bad about themselves, and be grateful for the opportunity.

oops

IronTom: oops

I was wondering, what, on a bus?

Maybe beats those beaded seat cover thingies...

GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

There's a lot of teabaggers around here who have been hating Unions since 1861.

UNC_Samurai: GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

There's a lot of teabaggers around here who have been hating Unions since 1861.

That, sir or ma'am, is really quite weak.

He sits on his ass and collects tons of cash,
Hail to the bus driver, bus driver man.

Well, good for him if he earned it. On the other hand, let's say a new guy is ready to clock in.

phone call.

"You still have xxx hours of sick and leave. use it."

"Why?"

"Nelson's getting OT. You get paid to sit on your butt. Plus a buck an hour from us to stay sick. It's your turn".

This might not happen everywhere, or even in this case, but it happens.

He works for the union, with no time for poopin'
Hail to the bus driver, bus driver man.

What's 'driving manufacturing jobs' overseas isn't the evils of capitalism that leftist, economic geniuses (such as B. Hussein Obama, Michael Moore or Hugo Chavez) rail against.

It's the union scum that keep POS democrats in power. Detroit is the perfect case-study for what unions and their bought-and-payed-for democrat politicians can do.

F*cking sick.


/unions have far outlived their usefullness

so, wait... michael steele says that a million bucks a year "just isn't that much money," but you republicans - sorry, fark independents™ - are ragging on a "real murkan" making six figures?

so, would you kindly enlighten us as to whom is allowed to make what?

Good for him.

The city entered into a bad contract, the limits to part time drivers on morning and afternoon school routes is simply bad for the city. Whomever negotiated and approved that is not a good steward of taxpayers' money.

The hiring freeze was a bad decision as well as it necessitated the overtime.

However the driver made the best of a bad situation for the city and I can't find fault with him. The driver sacrificed his time and had to put up with the public for far more time than his regular schedule requires. Nothing wrong with making a legitimate buck.

GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

I think this is the fault of the city. The city agreed to the rules of the game, the driver played by the rules. Good for him.

Meanwhile... can't outsource bus drivers!

Go Unions! I mean Go Lobbyists! I mean Go Earmarks!

Groups of people demanding to be compensated for "working" like those in congress. Awesome.

itazurakko: Meanwhile... can't outsource bus drivers!

No, but I hear a case coming for needing the H1B limit doubled because they can't find any U.S. citizens who possess the unique skills required to drive a bus.

Damn unions! It's all their fault!

Wait, I don't get it. Are bus drivers supposed to be socialist and salaries divided from a pool or something? Or maybe it's suddenly wrong to work hard to try to make a lot of money?

*scratches head*

feckingmorons: GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

I think this is the fault of the city. The city agreed to the rules of the game, the driver played by the rules. Good for him.

Obviously. I'm more pointing out that as soon as something happens that someone on the right doesn't like and an union can somehow be pointed to, it almost always will be blamed. Particularly if the union cannot possibly be to blame.

Rev.K: 1. It says in the article that the city was struggling to temporarily not allowed to fill vacancies and needed to pay overtime hours.

FTFY.

GAT_00: feckingmorons: GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

I think this is the fault of the city. The city agreed to the rules of the game, the driver played by the rules. Good for him.

Obviously. I'm more pointing out that as soon as something happens that someone on the right doesn't like and an union can somehow be pointed to, it almost always will be blamed. Particularly if the union cannot possibly be to blame.

My favorite thing is all of the Real Americans (TM) who loathe the same unions which have historically given them all of the benefits they enjoy.... things like a weekend, and the concept of livable wages. Don't get me started on their work ethic and love of education to allow them to excel.

OMG! I'm a TFer again! And this subject is total bullshiat.

Why do you think the liberals want the government running everything? This is why. Government Unions. You let the government expand this shiat and we'll never get rid of these turds. SEIU!!!! Government Unions should absolutely be outlawed.

GaryPDX: This is why. Government Unions.

How is the union to blame for the city deciding to put a hiring freeze in place? And notice the union doesn't care the guy will get less hours now and thus make less.

GaryPDX: Why do you think the liberals want the government running everything? This is why. Government Unions. You let the government expand this shiat and we'll never get rid of these turds. SEIU!!!! Government Unions should absolutely be outlawed.

Alcohol kills, Gary. And Imma say it again - your sons are out getting high EVERY night.

Gato Negro: /unions have far outlived their usefullness

Annnnnd yet again showing you have not one farking clue what you're talking about...

HotLonelyTeenageGirl: GAT_00: feckingmorons: GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

I think this is the fault of the city. The city agreed to the rules of the game, the driver played by the rules. Good for him.

Obviously. I'm more pointing out that as soon as something happens that someone on the right doesn't like and an union can somehow be pointed to, it almost always will be blamed. Particularly if the union cannot possibly be to blame.

My favorite thing is all of the Real Americans (TM) who loathe the same unions which have historically given them all of the benefits they enjoy.... things like a weekend, and the concept of livable wages. Don't get me started on their work ethic and love of education to allow them to excel.

it is the "WHAT have you done for me lately" mentality

and yah, the outrage is "fake"
hirer more drivers or sign a new contract
pretty straight forward solutions

and if the tax-payers dont like it, they can always vote to defund public transportation ...

Deeply entrenched unions will make a mess of anything.
$35 an hour for the guy who waves the flag at traffic?
~$30+ dollar equivalent pensions for the guy who screwed bumpers on to hastily designed throwaway vehicles?
The workers do need a representing organization of some kind though, otherwise it's all lost limbs and beating children.

The unions have something to do with health insurance too... how does that work again???

These stories always kill me with the reaction from most farkers. Number one, he worked the hours and deserves every bit of compensation that he got. Number 2 and most important, it is cheaper for the city to pay him overtime than it is for them to hire someone to do the extra work. Overtime is far cheaper than regular pay plus benefits.

We should give this guy a medal. Not only did he work an insane amount of hours he also did it in the presence of untold numbers of bums, hobos, homeless, gang bangers, drug dealers and other ne'er-do-wells.

It sounds like much of that was overtime to cover drivers on unpaid medical leave. I know overtime pays a premium over regular wages, but the seemingly outlandish earnings are somewhat offset by the savings from the unpaid leave. They were basically working for two people, so I don't blame the unions or the city; it was a bad year for illness.

They shouldn't have signed that contract. They should hire more people so that they don't have to use so much overtime.

sponkster: These stories always kill me with the reaction from most farkers. Number one, he worked the hours and deserves every bit of compensation that he got. Number 2 and most important, it is cheaper for the city to pay him overtime than it is for them to hire someone to do the extra work. Overtime is far cheaper than regular pay plus benefits.

Ummm, if you read TFA, he made $160k, $110k of which was overtime "and other pay".

I'm thinking if the going yearly price for a bus driver is $50k, maybe it's a hell of a lot cheaper to hire another one for $50k rather than fork over $110k in overtime?

TwistedIvory: Wait, I don't get it. Are bus drivers supposed to be socialist and salaries divided from a pool or something? Or maybe it's suddenly wrong to work hard to try to make a lot of money?

you are misunderstanding. when conservatives say hard work = make money they are leaving the "ther people's" out.

the bus driver should get 20k/year and a manager or corporation should get double whatever that laborer is getting now.

sponkster: untold numbers of bums, hobos, homeless, gang bangers, drug dealers and other ne'er-do-wells.

He drives in Madison and having gone to school there i can assure you he's not dealing with anything like what a bus driver in Chicago, NYC or LA deals with.

Sid_6.7: Yeah, it's the fault of the unions. Whatever.

In basically any other situation the typical "conservative" responses would be along the lines of "they shouldn't have signed that contract" and "they should hire more people so that they don't have to use so much overtime".

But instead the responses from those people will be "abolish unions!" and "get rid of the FMLA!".

nope they have not signed a damn thing,
ftfa "The bus drivers' contact, which calls for pay up to $26.02 an hour, expired at the end of December and the sides are now in negotiations."

Ove time, it will earn us all more money.

Outliers are the same as averages!!!

GAT_00: You notice how everything is always the fault of a union?

Never noticed, probably because of those damned unions!