INC NEWS - something smells fishy

[RW Pickle]

That was the way they started off the story on the 6pm newscast about the
perceived problem that trash didn't get picked up for a day. I say
received, because like some of you on the list, my trash sat at the curb
for an extra day. I never heard it complain.

But the issue here is that we have workers in a City Department that,
according to the newspaper and conversations today with Solid Waste, work
anywhere between 28-32 hours a week and get paid for working 40 hours. I
don't know about you, but that's a pretty sweet deal no matter how you
look at it.

Let's just do a little math. Say an employee picking up the waste gets
$8.00/hr. And lets assume there are 50 of these guys. In hours and dollars
alone that amounts to (I'll average and say they work 30 hours) somewhere
more than a quarter of a million dollars when you figure in benefits.
That's money that is just given away because of a particular job. And they
get vacation time as well that is paid. The City is not slack on benefits.
I think there is even an educational opportunity they can get while
working for them. So none of that is just peanuts.

I don't see the guys cleaning out sewers, mowing the parks, or digging
ditches getting the same break. Nor do I see the police and fire
departments giving away money for time not having been worked. So what
gives here? It seems that it is something that is typically done (and why
I can not begin to understand) by Solid Waste Divisions across the
country. Is it that the job is just so bad there has to be some sort of
perk like this? I can't see it. It's a 4 day work week that really is a
part time job (less than 32 hours is considered part time and employers do
not have to offer benefits to those employees). Maybe if we make them all
part-time employees, cut out the benefits, they'll change their tune. I'm
sure their wages are on par with other similar tasked job throughout the
City. That only makes sense.

So what's the answer? I applaud our new Solid Waste Director James
"Action" Jackson for coming through the door and trying to save his
department (and us citizens) some money. If it means solid waste workers
have to work 40 hours a week in order to get paid for 40 hours, then
where's the rub? Certainly not on the taxpayer. And if they don't want to
do it, I say replace them with workers who will. That seems easy enough to
do. Last time I looked there were still folks looking for jobs around
here.

We don't really discuss much on this list. It seems more like an info
conduit. I'm throwing this out there for discussion. I assume most of us
work and get paid only for the time we do it. Doesn't it seem fair that
others are treated the same way? Especially when the citizens are footing
the bill.

RWP
27 Beverly