INC NEWS - solid waste workers are not cheap

[RW Pickle]

Kelly Jarrett wrote:

"I'm not sure what the trash guys get paid"

With wages and benefits (and mind you it's only for 28-32 hours a week
they do this for), it runs between $27K and $33K a year. Not bad for a
part time job (32 hours and less is considered part-time). So it's not
like they're not getting paid or something.

A full-time worker at McDonalds (they could get a job there if they wanted
to work inside and get paid for only the hours they work) makes a little
more than $13K a year. The solid waste workers make more than a
construction worker making $13/hr who doesn't typically have any benefits.
So we're not really talking poverty here. These folks are paid. Add other
perks and it just gets better. Sure it's outside work. But so is most
construction, police, and fire. Let them get jobs at the mall if they want
to work inside. People work outside because of the nice days. They're
rewarding. The bad days are just that. Some construction workers can't
work on the bad days so they have to lose their pay for that time. All
jobs have their good and their bad. People chose to do it or they don't.
Everyone has a choice.

Kelly Jarrett wrote:

"You try hanging out there for 40 hours in, say, January or
August, and then see if you're still so comfortable with your sermon on
work ethic."

We're not talking about me, and it's not for 40 hours. The construction
industry brought me to NC. I was a field engineer. Our company had $328M
worth of work in NC. It was major construction, all outside. I had an
easier job than some, but I had rain gear like the rest of them. And in
cold weather, I had insulated stuff to wear. Why? Because it was outside
work like picking up trash is. Like I said, people chose to do what they
do. And being outside on the nice days was really nice. Just as it is now.
If you work inside, how many days do you wish you could be outside when
the weather is nice? Probably a lot if you're in an office all the time.
When the outdoors is your office, you have to take the good with the bad.
But like I said, the good is really good and the bad is just that. You
dress for it.

The problem is, that the temp labor, including the temp agency fees,
really amounts to more than the highest paid solid waste worker mentioned
above. So when you have to fill in the slack from the regular worker only
working 28-32 hours (but being paid for 40 with benefits), the cost of
making up the difference becomes an issue. And that is what this is all
about; working the hours you are paid for. I have no reason to believe
that if the workers worked an additional 8-12 hours a week they are paid
for, the ship would eventually get headed in the right direction. We might
lose some of the help in the beginning of this program because they only
like the job because of the short hours/long pay, but it would soon work
itself to being a 40 hour week with all the work done on time. We're not
talking about working less. It would actually be more time spent doing
work. So you'd get more work done (unless as a protest there was a work
slowdown; in which case there would be some personel changes in a hurry).

I've heard fromm 2 sources that they are working on a plan to fill in the
gap with other City workers rather than use temps. That hardly seems the
answer. Get the crews to work 40 hours; period. If they can't get the
routes done in an extra 8-12 hours a week, then there needs to be some
better planning. All they would be doing is working the time they are paid
for working (but they don't). What's the big deal about that?

Just my 2 cents from the pulpit.

RWP
27 Beverly

RWP
27 Beverly