INC NEWS - other workers wages

[Richard Mullinax]

I understand paying by the job. If nothing else it is great for 
productivity and those big trucks in our neighborhoods need to be as 
productive as possible while they are here!

It seems like the job is each individuals route that day. How about 
redefining the job to be the total City routes that day or maybe even 
the total City routes for the week. Better yet the total garbage and 
yard waste routes for the week. Let the employees figure out how to get 
it all collected on heavy days such as weekends or leaf time of year. 
Exceptions could be made to provide overtime during an event like an ice 
storm or hurricane. Otherwise heavy times balance with the light times. 
Let them even choose what is a Holiday or not. They may choose to keep a 
standard week all the time, and end the shifting collection days on 
Holiday weeks to have better control over trash collection. This would 
allow employees to rotate off for the entire week at times, one at a 
time, and give true vacation time rather than the long weekends us 
Americans accept as normal vacation. I have also worked in an industry 
where all holidays were worked. Vacation for all was scheduled at other 
times. I choose the job and it worked well while I was there.

If our sanitation collection workers are making less than $15 an hour we 
are stealing from them. The least amount I pay unskilled labor workers 
with shovel is $12 an hour. These Solid Waste employees are responsible 
for much more than dig where requested. They earn more than $15 an hour.

I understand the pay twice problem and think if the job is redefined the 
problem will be less. I also do not think they are paid enough. But hey 
we should all be dumping less and reusing more and not relying on this 
service so much. Go visit the transfer station for an hour and you will 
cry at all the usable material we throw away.

Richard Mullinax
Old North Durham